Unmundane Games
by Clairavance
Summary: Julian and Jenny have kids. It's not a deceiving summary, but it's not entirely what you think either.CHAPTER 16 UPDATED.
1. Zoe

_**Follow the call of the wild; don't turn away,  
The whispers in the breeze will lead you here,  
I am the answer, to the question you pray;  
To find me you must defeat your fear.**_

_**There, beyond the weeping willows,  
Across the ripples of the streaming crystal lake,  
Beneath the forest hollows;  
Through the gold coated roots that do a portal make.**_

_**Step lightly over the one-footed bridge,  
Beware the luring nymphs down below,  
Around the honey-bush and past the wooden ridge;  
Into the water - where the moon-tide flows.**_

_**Keep your feet light, your breath quiet,  
Listen carefully for the morning cry three,  
And when you hear it...  
You'll find me.**_

Cat-tilted, ocean-green eyes lifted from the delicate magnolia scented paper, to survey the familiar stuffed toys cuddled together on a rose-printed bed. Pen in hand became still as the slender young girl tilted her head slightly, listening.  
A few breaths later, the definite sound of a rogue rooster called out. She counted the cries in her mind. One. Two. And three. Her gaze shifted from the bed to rest on the pale pink digital clock she'd gotten from her grandparents last Christmas. 6:08 AM showed red back at her through the dimness of the room. With a sigh, she placed the pen down on her desk and leaned back in the high-back chair, stretching her legs as she gently rubbed stiff neck muscles.

Moving house was nothing new to her. For all her seventeen years of life, Zoe Rudolfse had always been labelled 'the new girl'. The new girl at school; the new girl at work; and when her parents decided to home-school her she earned the title of the new girl down the street.  
She was lucky she'd managed to convince her parents to put her back in school after this last move. It would guarantee her at the very least one year of finding her feet. If she could find a part-time job and earn enough to sustain herself, she wouldn't need to pack up her life and move when her parents would decide it was time for 'a change'. She needed to start thinking about college, and life after high school.

Zoe turned her head toward the half-open window in her room. Dawn broke across the night sky in shades of pretty blue. A breeze drifted inside, lightly stirring her curtains. The sounds of scuttling little feet were clear in the quiet of the morning hours. _Rats_, Zoe thought, tilting her head up to gaze up at the pale ceiling. She narrowed her eyes, watching and listening.  
Moving from town to town, and a couple of times from continent to continent, wasn't a problem for Zoe. Meeting new people, getting lost, and wondering whether she'll make any friends every time, wasn't what always winded her up and turned her into a bundle of nerves. New places were interesting. People were easy to interact with. What Zoe hated about moving was the new house – and the new entities she would come across.

She followed the sound of the faint scuttling with her eyes. A floorboard creaked somewhere down the darkened hallway. The wind picked up outside, battering against the walls of the house and blowing her curtains in. The house groaned in response; another floorboard creaked, the fridge picked up its humming in the kitchen down the hallway.  
Her physique didn't relax until she heard the faint sounds of scratching and gnawing in the corner of the room. Stupid rats. Zoe glanced down at the poem in front of her for a moment. If she kept a diary, she would probably be writing in it right now, bashing herself for being so... weird. She didn't understand her need to write down where she was. She always restrained herself from folding these poems into a paper jet and letting it fly out the window. Chances were it would crash right outside their yard, and her parents would find it. It was far too humiliating to risk, so she carefully slid the slip of paper into the folder where she kept all her other poems. _Tuck it away, along with all my other little fantasies_, Zoe thought.

The idea of some part of her calling out to something – or someone – was crazy._ It's just because you haven't found a place where you feel you belong yet_. Her mother's words ran through her mind again, and Zoe agreed wholeheartedly. It was true – of course she'd made lots of friends, and she loved some of the towns where they'd stayed before. But the sense of belonging had evaded her. She probably wouldn't recognize it even if it hit her smack in the face, Zoe thought bitterly. Still, she couldn't explain away the feeling that someone _was_ looking for her.  
Zoe turned off her desk lamp, and tiptoed toward her door. She stood in the doorway, and cautiously peeked her head out. The moonlight coated everything in beautiful pale light; like the sun during the day, only this light was colder and softer somehow. Zoe's fascination and teasing about her parents being blind as bats in the dark had fizzled out to something oddly similar to fear in recent years. Her reasoning that it was just their eyesight going bad at night, was deflated when she discovered her friends having the same condition at a random slumber party. It wasn't until that party took place when Zoe had to admit the truth to herself; that she was more different to everybody else than she'd realized.

The hallway wasn't empty. She felt her body go stiff for a moment, her eyes going wide when she noted the blurry shadow against one of the walls. It was watching her with eyes as red as rubies, glowering back at her. Her own gaze narrowed back at it. She retreated into her room, closing her door firmly but quietly behind her. The window bunk was surprisingly comfy, and Zoe hugged one of the throw pillows to her chest as she curled up onto it, detachedly watching the slow sunrise outside.  
_Stupid shadow people_, Zoe thought. They were a familiar sight to her as she'd been surrounded by them since she was a little child. They never hurt her, and she didn't trust to attempt to communicate with them either. She somehow knew that they were following her for a reason, but she didn't want to know what it was. _Ignorance is bliss_, Zoe chided herself jokingly. They weren't the entities that she was afraid of.

What she was afraid of was the entities that would be called and welcomed into their home by her mother. Zoe never told her mother how much it bothered her that she'd chosen to be a medium as a career. Her mother loved helping the living move on and find closure; Zoe didn't want to take that purpose away from her.  
Of course, Mrs Rudolfse had been delighted when it was discovered that Zoe was as sensitive to 'those passed over' as she was, and since then her mother had been giving her tips and advice on how to 'deal' with it. But then, of course, Zoe hadn't corrected her mother. She wasn't clairvoyant, that was a certainty now. She simply saw the world differently from everybody else; from being able to see at night as though it was clear as day, to watching guardian angels follow oblivious people around.

It would be another two days before Mrs Rudolfse saw her first clients in the new town. Two days for her to tune into the passed entities. Zoe knew she would see them sooner, if not that very day then the next. They would flock to their house, and Zoe would pretend not to see them, or hear them, or smell them, or feel them. She had to put up the facade of oblivion, because things often turned very ugly when the entities recognized that she was able to interact with them.  
Zoe sighed softly as the sky lightened outside. The facade of being as normal as everybody else was going to be tricky, as always. She'll be perceived as intriguing and interesting at school that day. She'll be called eccentric once it came about how much she'd 'travelled'. She'll be called different because of her mother's career choice. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what she'd be labelled if her secret got out.  
An outcast.

**Ooo888ooO**

**A/N: I'll put my disclaimer for the fic in here so I can have that done and dusted. The Shadow World, Julian, Jenny, and any of the other FG characters, and the concept of the FG, is copyright property of L.J. Smith. The plot, and all other characters, belong to me. I got inspired to write this a while ago. It branches off from my trilogy fics, the third one in particular, if you're interested in getting a little bit more background about why I'm writing this fic. Otherwise, it's not necessary to read my other fics, you shouldn't be lost reading this as a stand-alone. The poem is copyright of Chantelle Smith, so please don't cross any lines and illegally make use of it.**


	2. Kyle

Zoe stared back at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, surveying her appearance with a sceptical eye. She wanted to avoid attracting unnecessary attention to herself on her first day of school, just like any new kid would. She decided on her slightly faded grey jeans and a pale lavender blouse as her first outfit; it flattered her fair skin without drawing anyone's eye.

Her dark eyebrows were knitted together in a frown as she stared helplessly at the silvery-gold mane of hair hanging in wild locks around her shoulders. She turned her head this way and that, watching her hair almost shimmer in the sharp bathroom light. _What to do, what to do_... Zoe sighed, her posture slumping into one of complete impatience. Trying to tone down her appearance and blend in with the crowd was a skill she still had to obtain. The first thing that made people's heads turn was her hair; the palest of blonde, almost white, but with the glittering warmth of honey undertones. _Maybe no one will notice if I wear it down. This is California, after all, there are bound to be hundreds of blondes, right? _Even as she thought it, the expression on the girl in the mirror altered into a mocking smirk. Yeah, right.

Maybe if she wore her French-style beanie to cover up most of it... and it would be less noticeable if she pulled it into a braid. Zoe set about the task of expertly weaving her hair with long slender fingers. She looked up when she heard her mother in the hallway, rattling the car keys loudly.

"Zorada, are you coming or not?" Mrs Rudolfse's voice drifted toward her.  
"In a minute, Mom!" Zoe called back, gritting her teeth as she quickly finished the braid. She skipped across the hall to her room, snatched her schoolbag off her bed, and sent one last helpless glance at her reflection before hurrying down the hallway to the front door.

Her mother always seemed to be in a rush, and this morning was no different. Zoe doubted her mother ever spent much time in front of the mirror with her low maintenance looks; her chocolate brown perm was still holding firm, her lips were coated in dark rose, and her grey eyes were sharp and narrowed in annoyance. She was dressed in a smart two-piece outfit you'd rather expect to see in a board room instead of on someone in her mother's line of career.

"Come now, Zoe, I'm going to remove all the mirrors from the house if you keep this up. Honestly, you look _fine_, I don't know why you're always fussing." Mrs Rudolfse grumbled as they stepped outside.  
"Oh, I forgot my beanie..." Zoe abruptly halted in her tracks.  
"Get in the car, Zorada." Mrs Rudolfse ordered curtly, and Zoe glumly obeyed.

It was as she closed her door and glanced in the rear view mirror at her mother circling the car, when her eye landed on the figure crouching in the backseat. It was a guy, college age, dressed in clothes that seemed off-colour and washed out. Zoe didn't recognize the scruffy ash-blonde hair or the wide, pale greenish-grey eyes. If he hadn't been in the odd position he was in – literally crouching on the backseat so alert as though he was going to leap right out one of the doors – she would have turned around and asked him who he was.

Instead, her gaze caught the deep gash running from behind his ear across his throat ending beneath his right collarbone. One side of his face seemed to be a dried mask of blood, cracking in places, and half his hair was matted with dark crimson. Zoe moved her gaze away from the figure the moment she saw the blood. His breathing was ragged and halting, whistling behind her eerily. She turned her attention to the single story ranch-style house instead.

The once white walls were stained with brown and grey watermarks, and some local ivy clung to the pillars and beams surrounding the wooden front porch. The windows appeared empty, but Zoe couldn't help wondering if there was something looking back at her. The house was a few miles out of town, surrounded by thick bush that formed a cocoon of isolation around them. _Cut off from civilisation_, the thought unsettled her.

"Where's dad?" Zoe asked the moment her mother got into the car.  
"He's gone out fishing with the neighbours." Mrs Rudolfse glanced at Zoe dismissively as she started the engine. "Are you nervous about your first day of school?"  
"Not really." Zoe lied, watching out her window as they pulled off the driveway and into the street.  
"Why are you all dressed up?" Zoe asked a minute later, watching her mother distractedly touching her throat with a finger.

"Off to work, sweetheart. It's an old woman in a wheelchair, so I'm going to see her at her home this morning. Poor thing," Mrs Rudolfse shook her head, her voice softening as she said the last.  
"Have you had time to connect with the spiritual world yet?" Zoe asked, shifting uneasily as the hair on her arms rose. She didn't have to look to know the guy in the backseat was looking at her.  
"Not properly, but I've had this strong energy around me since I woke up this morning. I think it might be male, closer to your age. I won't be sure until I can tune in completely." Mrs Rudolfse said conversationally.  
"Hmm." Zoe mumbled, fidgeting with her hands.  
"It might have been a car accident, or a murder. I feel this horrible burning across my throat, like I've been cut with something."  
"Hmm, okay, Mom." Zoe said quickly. "I'm not up to discussing your work in detail before going to school. I've got enough on my mind as it is."  
"Of course, sweetheart." Mrs Rudolfse sighed.

Zoe felt herself becoming tense as they continued driving. The silence was disrupted by the wheezing breathing in the back, and when her mother pulled into the parking lot at Vista Grande High, Zoe leapt from the car with a quick goodbye over her shoulder. The relief of being free of that horrible breathing sound was short-lived as she made her way into the busy halls of the school.

Unlike her previous prediction that there would be an over-abundance of blonde girls, Zoe found that there weren't too many of them. Or, not enough to make her disappear, to be more precise. Zoe kept her head down and stuck close to the walls as she headed in the direction of the school office. Collecting her schedule and obtaining a map of the school from the office went down without a hitch. It took Zoe a good five minutes to memorise where her classes were and with who. She wandered down the halls toward the lockers, in search of the locker assigned to her. She found it easily and turned in the number she was given for the combination lock. The door came open with no problems, and Zoe stood staring at the contents of the locker in dismay. There were a couple of old worn text books lying in the back and something that resembled a burrito, only it was oozing mould and something impalpable.

"Wonderful." Zoe muttered to herself. She would love to know who the moron was that didn't bother to clear out their locker. She could picture rubbing the rotten burrito in their face – the stench of it was nauseating – and she'd enjoy watching them gag.  
She was just bracing herself to launch an attack on the burrito with the text books, planning to dump all of it in the nearest trash can, when a voice behind her stopped her.  
"Oh, that _reeks_," a male voice scoffed in disgust.  
Zoe turned to look up into eyes as dark and warm as coffee, and felt her cheeks flush – in embarrassment or annoyance, she wasn't sure.  
"Did something die in there?" The boy asked, peering cautiously past her shoulder at the locker.  
Zoe stepped aside to allow him a better view of the contents, and opened her mouth to defend herself when the guy turned and shouted over his shoulder.  
"Hey! Brucie!"  
"Yo!" The reply came from somewhere down the buzzing hallway.

"Get over here!" The guy called, then turned back to Zoe with a look of contempt. "Sorry, I'll get this cleared out for you in a second."  
"Oh," Zoe said weakly in surprise. She stepped further aside when a guy with broad shoulders and blue eyes joined them, and she noticed they wore the same green blazers. Football players, then. She knew then the redness in her face was to blame on embarrassment. She saw several students glance their way curiously as they drifted past. _So much for not attracting unwanted attention_, Zoe thought to herself.  
"Whoa, dude, what died?" Broad Shoulders asked, wrinkling his face in disgust.  
"Your lunch from last semester." Coffee Eyes remarked, unimpressed.  
"Right, sorry about that," Broad Shoulders said, offering an apologetic glance at Zoe, and then doing a double-take. "Are you a new student?"

"Yeah." Zoe said, shifting her weight from one foot to the other uneasily.  
"Cool. Welcome to Vista Grande High. Hey, do you need a chaperone around school..."  
"Get a move on, Peterson. We've got class in another minute, and you know what Mr Ashwell said last time you were late..." Coffee Eyes chided.  
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Bruce cut him off, and scooped the contents of the locker into his arms. "See you around, new girl." He called over his shoulder as he jogged down the hall, students clearing a path in front of him as he went.

"Don't mind Bruce, he's got issues with an overweight ego." Coffee Eyes said apologetically, and Zoe finally turned to look at him again. He had a friendly smile on his face; a cute smile with dimples. She wondered for a moment if he got picked on as the 'pretty boy' by the other football players, but his confidence was too dominant for her to believe he would put up with it.  
"I'm Kyle, by the way." He said, almost as an after-thought.  
"Zoe." Zoe replied with an uncertain smile.  
"Pleased to meet you, Zoe. Are you from out of town? You have a slight accent."  
"Yes, actually I moved here from Texas."  
"A Texas girl," Kyle arched his eyebrows, surprised.  
"What's your position on the football team?" Zoe asked in an attempt to divert the topic away from herself.  
"I'm the quarterback." Kyle shrugged modestly as the bell rang through the halls. "Hey, I'll see you around, Zoe."  
"Sure, see you." Zoe said, watching his dark head disappear down the hallway.  
She closed the locker, resolving to put a bag of dried lavender and sandalwood oil in there to clear out the stench sometime, and turned to walk in the opposite direction that the football player had gone.

She found the World History class a moment later and was about to step inside when a firm hand pulled her out of the doorway. Zoe turned, startled, and stared into a pretty face with blazing green eyes and bellowing golden blonde hair.  
"Hey, new girl, I'll give you a heads-up. Don't try anything with Kyle. He's off-limits, understand?"  
Zoe blinked, caught off guard. "What?" She asked dumbly.  
"Look, he's my best friend, and I'm just looking out for his best interests. He's the star quarterback on the football team, _way_ out of your league, so don't even try anything on him. Or _else_." With that, the girl whipped around and stepped into the classroom, leaving Zoe stumped in the hallway.

Zoe chewed her lip, trying to ignore the curious glances other students sent her way as they filed into the classroom. She finally forced her feet to move, suppressing the urge to flee to the bathroom and hide in one of the stalls the rest of the day. She walked into the classroom and slid behind the nearest empty desk. She wasn't sure what to make of the unprovoked attack, and Zoe wondered if she'd crossed some invisible line without realizing it.

It felt strange being back in school and having someone feed her knowledge with a golden spoon. She'd gotten so used to studying and teaching herself at home, that she found the teacher far too slow to keep her mind stimulated. On her way out of the history class, the angry girl from earlier roughly brushed past Zoe, nearly pushing her into the wall. Zoe narrowed her gaze, watching the girl's retreating back.

Her next class was English, which Zoe found she shared with Star Quarterback Kyle. She didn't know what to do when he casually struck up friendly conversation with her, and she couldn't help but find his personality magnetic. Still, it was uncomfortable with the green-eyed blonde pretending to be curious and friendly when she joined in their conversation, and sending dagger looks at Zoe whenever Kyle would look away.

"It's good weather to go for sundae's on the beach," Kyle was saying as the English teacher, Mrs Howell, entered the classroom with a stack of papers in her arms.  
"Are you suggesting we go after school?" the blonde girl asked with a knowing smile.  
"Sure, Tanya, if you're keen." Kyle said with an easy shrug, before his warm gaze rested on Zoe. "How about it, Zoe? I've got to meet up with the boys on the field for a quick football meeting after school, but if you're interested to hang around for a few minutes, I can give you a ride."  
"I..." Zoe started awkwardly, and stopped short when the teacher interrupted them.  
"Care to inform me on the whereabouts of a certain somebody, Mr Locke?" Mrs Howell demanded, her thin lips pursed and her arms folded across her chest expectantly.

Kyle turned to look at her, and then scanned the room. His face went a slight shade pale, then flushed angrily as he lowered himself back into his chair.  
"No, ma'am. I haven't seen Haley since this morning." Kyle turned back to the teacher.  
"You tell that young lady to report straight to me when you do. This is utter nonsense..." Mrs Howell trailed off, irritated as she shook her head.  
"Yes, ma'am." Kyle sighed and straightened in his seat when the lesson began.

Zoe tried to envision a shield around her throughout class. Tanya was glaring death-rays at her, and she wondered if the girl would physically assault her once they were outside in the hallway. The vibes she was sending off made Zoe weary that a fight was inevitable either way. _Well, what does the girl expect me to do? Ignore him when he's obviously trying to be nice to me? What would that say about me?_ Zoe's thoughts danced around in her head as she absent-mindedly took notes of the reading material they were going to dissect that semester.

Chemistry class was less awkward when Zoe discovered she thankfully didn't share that class with Tanya. Not that Kyle was all that conversational, now that they weren't under scrutinizing eyes. Zoe got the impression he was fuming inside. It didn't show in his tone of voice or in his posture, but his eyes were blazing and it was clear in his silences. Zoe thought for a horrible moment that it was her fault he was so furious.  
"I see Haley has decided to take some time off from her educational career," Mr Mackie's words pulled Zoe out of her silent debate.

Kyle tensed next to Zoe, and replied with a steady stare at the teacher.  
"I don't think she realizes how fortunate she is to have been moved to a higher grade. It is a privilege that will be short-lived if she keeps up these obscure absences, you'll make sure she's aware of that, won't you, Kyle?"  
"Yes, sir." Kyle muttered through his teeth.  
"Good. Now, we have a new student, I believe." Mr Mackie shifted his glasses on his nose, looking down at a clipboard on his desk. "Zoo-rada Ruu-dolphs?"  
"Zorada Rudolfse," Zoe corrected, cheeks flushing bright pink as all eyes swivelled to rest on her.  
"Ah, of course. Welcome to Vista Grande, Ms Rudolphs." Zoe cringed again. "I'm sure you will find our school to have the highest standards in town."

Zoe didn't realize she was still tense when the lesson began, until Kyle nudged her lightly with a warm smile. "It's okay to breathe. No one is watching," he whispered jokingly.  
Zoe managed a colourless smile in response. "I hate introductions."  
"So do I." Kyle gave her a playful wink.  
Zoe was about to ask him who the Haley girl was he was obviously taking a beating for, but bit back her curiosity. It was clearly upsetting to him, and she didn't want to bring it up again.  
"I've got practice during lunch, but I'll meet you in the parking lot after school, right?" Kyle asked when the bell rang to announce lunch time had come.  
"I don't know if Tanya would be happy with me tagging along." Zoe admitted.  
"Tanya?" Kyle repeated with a blank expression. "Why not?"  
"I... don't know. She just gave me... the impression that she wouldn't like my company."

"Well, stuff Tanya." Kyle frowned in dismay. "It's not like she's into ice creams and junk food anyway. Don't mind her, seriously, Zoe. We can ditch her, no problem."  
"Ditch her?" Zoe repeated, surprised at his straight-forward and nasty remark.  
"Yeah. I mean, it's not like she'll actually join us unless Haley is there."  
"I don't get it." Zoe frowned, confused. "I thought you two are best friends or something."  
Kyle blinked and burst into hearty laughter. "Me and Tanya? No way! I barely know the girl. She's one of Haley's entourage, not mine. Look, I'll catch you in the parking lot, okay?"  
"Okay." Zoe said weakly. She watched him stride from the classroom, students exchanging friendly words with him as he went. She realized she was staring once he was out of her sight, and at the same time she recognized the warmth his presence left behind. _Oh, great. My first day isn't even over yet and I'm already crushing on Mr Popular,_ Zoe scolded herself as she filed out of class along with the other students.

But she couldn't blame herself for it. It was _his_ fault, if anyone was to blame, Zoe reasoned. He was being too nice toward her. Sure, he seemed like a good guy and he was probably nice to everybody else, too. But she didn't see him inviting any other girls to the beach after school, either. Her heart fluttered in her chest when the word _date_ flitted through her mind. Was it a date? What else could she call it – a get-together with a guy she just met?

_Dad will have a stroke_, Zoe berated herself. Her last boyfriend had been the boy-next-door type, sneaking up to her room at night to visit her because Mr Rudolfse had forbidden Zoe to get romantically involved with any boy until she graduated. Zoe would never forget the look on her father's face when he popped his head into her room to say goodnight.  
Not that they'd been doing anything – she'd been sitting by her computer desk, the guy across the room from her on the edge of her bed. Still, just the look on her father's face had made the guy jump from the window and he nearly broke his leg in his fall. Zoe herself had nearly bolted right after him; her father had a nasty temper when it came to the topic of boys, and finding one in her room at night must have been one of his worst nightmares.

But then Kyle appeared to be more confident and charming than any of her previous boyfriends. Maybe he would be different, and maybe her father would respond to him differently, too. _Wishful thinking, Zoe. The guy invited you to have ice cream with him, he's not proposing or anything. There is no reason to attach any thought of him being a potential boyfriend to the matter_. The internal dialogue was confusing and frustrating as she made her way to the cafeteria. She was letting her emotions get the better of her. _Stop thinking, Zoe. It's your first day, there is a lot to take in still_.

Zoe picked up a tray and stood in line with a couple of other students. She glanced around the cafeteria, looking for a table that might be empty where she could sit. She hadn't exactly made any friends, and inviting herself to sit with complete strangers wasn't in her nature. She picked out mashed potatoes and a salad from the array of food presented. Zoe carefully made her way to one of the smaller tables near a large glass window overlooking the school parking lot. She just poked her fork into her salad when the sound of a loud engine thundered outside. She glanced up as a black car pulled into a parking space. Zoe wasn't an expert on cars, but she thought it was one of the older sports cars that had gone out of fashion a long time ago. She looked away from the car, and froze when she noticed a lot of people looking toward her as they ate their lunch.

It took her a few minutes to note they weren't looking at her but at the car. She heard a door slam shut, and glanced out the window again. A petite girl with flowing mahogany brown hair was locking the car, dressed in a soft purple blouse, pale grey jeans and black leather boots that came up to her knees. Zoe blinked, surprised as she glanced down at her own clothes before looking back up, her cheeks flushing.

The girl turned, and Zoe swallowed nervously when the girl paused, staring back at her. Or maybe she wasn't looking at her; Zoe couldn't tell because the dark sunglasses hid the girl's eyes. The girl strolled past the window, and Zoe felt her stomach churn when the girl's head literally turned to watch her as she walked by. _I feel like a clown_, Zoe thought miserably. Her first day just wasn't going smoothly, she might as well give up hope that anything would change.

The girl entered through the door in the cafeteria where a large red sign read _emergency exit_. She didn't look toward Zoe again, but Zoe watched in disbelief as the girl pushed in front of the line of students.  
"No cutting in line!" one of the guys complained.  
"Hold your nuts in a bag, man, I'm just getting a drink." The girl retorted, and appeared a second later with a carton of milk and a tall glass.  
The girl glanced over her shoulder when the guy called something back to her, but she glided toward one of the tables instead of turning to face him. Zoe noticed Tanya seated at the table where the girl planted herself down. Zoe looked back at her food, poking at her mashed potatoes listlessly. She'd suddenly lost her appetite.

Maybe she should have just continued home-schooling, like her parents wanted her to. As the thought crossed her mind, movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention and Zoe looked up. She went rigid when she saw the petite girl coming toward her with her glass of milk, Tanya right on her heels with her own tray of food. _Great, now what?_ Zoe thought anxiously.


	3. Haley

The girl's expression was indifferent, a total comparison to the murderous look on Tanya's face. Zoe thought she could feel the cold milk splash in her face and the tray of food run over her head, even before the two girls reached her table. _Stay calm – they don't actually do things like that in real life. It's only on those stupid high school soaps you watch all the time... right?_ Zoe thought, and felt panic bubble up in her chest.

The petite girl gracefully slid into the seat across from her. Tanya scraped a chair across the floor and put her tray down on the table with a huff. Zoe straightened, waiting. What exactly she was waiting for, she wasn't sure – to have Tanya launch at her with teeth and claws extended, maybe.  
"So, you're Zoe, huh?" The girl asked.  
"You didn't tell Kyle you were going to the beach, did you?" Tanya demanded, turning sparking green eyes on Zoe.  
"I... I'm sorry, I think he just assumed I was going because I didn't give him a straight out no." Zoe said carefully.  
"So, you're not going then?" Tanya frowned at her.  
"Of course she's going," Petite Girl smiled and took off the sunglasses. Dancing hazel eyes looked back at Zoe warmly. "No girl would turn down an invite from oh-so-hot Kyle."

"True," Tanya admitted with a deep sigh. She eyed Zoe warily. "Still. He's totally out of your league. You know he's just being nice, right? He's nice to all the girls."  
"With me being the sole exception," Petite Girl's smile widened, before frowning at Tanya. "What are you talking about? She's so not... Zoe, you're so not out of Kyle's league. Don't listen to Tanya, she's just jealous." The girl looked at Zoe earnestly, as though she was trying to will Zoe to believe her.  
"_You're _the one who said no girl is going to be good enough for him." Tanya said, surprise written all over her face.  
"I meant _you're_ out of his league, Tanya. Seriously, Kyle wouldn't last a day with your eating habits. He's all about eating out and he expects his girlfriend to share his love of junk food."  
"Oh, that's real mature, Haley. Thanks for being such a wonderful friend." Tanya said.

Haley returned the glare with a casual shrug. "You're welcome."  
"Agh!" Tanya stood up to leave, but Haley pulled her back down into the chair.  
"What do you want me to do? Tell you he's going to fall for you because you eat like a goat? I'm just being realistic, Tanya, I don't want to get your hopes up."  
"So you'd rather have Kyle go for the new girl?" Tanya sniffed in disdain.  
"Well... if he could. I think Zoe's a bit out of Kyle's league, actually." Haley admitted, studying Zoe with curious eyes.  
Zoe could feel her face heat up, and wished for all the world that she was anywhere but here.  
"Where did you move from, Zoe?" Haley asked.  
"Uh... Texas." Zoe answered uneasily.  
"Well, Vista Grande sure isn't Texas, but I'm pretty sure you'll fit in perfectly here." Haley said.  
"Oh, sure." Tanya muttered.  
"Really. I've got a gut feeling about you." Haley narrowed her eyes at Zoe thoughtfully. She straightened up and smiled.

"Ugh, whatever," Tanya exclaimed. "Look, are you still coming to the party at my place tomorrow night? It's not like you'll have anything else to do, now that your secret love-interest is out of town for a while."  
Haley leaned her arms on the table and fixed Tanya with a look that made even Zoe uncomfortable.  
"I'll come if Zoe is going, too." Haley said after a long moment.

"But..." Tanya blinked, startled, and looked at Zoe in dismay. "Fine, whatever. Look, just be there, okay? The parties suck when you're not there. And it's really important, Haley. Remember we planned to do the Ouija board in the Willis house afterward, right?"  
"See you later." Haley said with a sigh when Tanya rose to her feet and went back to the larger table.  
"What do you think Zoe? Ever used a Ouija board before?"  
"No. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to." Zoe said, embarrassed.  
"Neither have I. Because I'm _not_ allowed." Haley grinned mischievously. "My mom would kill me if she found out. She's always going on about inviting evil into our house, and stuff like that. She even burns sage in every room in the house on Sundays. That's why I call her the Crazy Lady."

"She burns sage?" Zoe repeated uncertainly.  
"It's supposed to clear out any impurities in the house." Haley explained dismissively. "Anyway, according to the crazy lady, playing with Ouija is like inviting whatever evil there is to our world, and that it could attach itself to the people in the room. It could even possess them, according to her."  
"I thought it was a way to communicate with the dead." Zoe frowned.  
"My thoughts exactly. The dead aren't necessarily evil, right? I'm going to test those two theories tomorrow night. It's just a small group of us going, everyone else is too scared to set foot in the Willis house because of all the stories floating around town." Haley shrugged, and frowned at Zoe's pale expression. "You've heard of them already?"

Zoe shook her head and licked her lips. "I'm guessing it's haunted ?"  
"Just like every other abandoned house in the state." Haley snorted. "There are stories about Mr Willis having starved his twins in the basement, and that you can hear them scratching on the basement door and crying to be let out. There are rumours that Mrs Willis hung herself in the master bedroom, and that her ghost wanders the halls at night. Then there's the story about the mysterious little ghost girl that follows curious kids around the house at night. Just your typical ghost stories."  
"You don't believe in ghosts." Zoe said. By the bored tone in Haley's voice, Zoe could tell she was a sceptic.

"Well..." Haley trailed off for a moment. "I haven't ever seen one."  
"So do you know what really happened at the house?" Zoe asked. It was curiosity that made her ask; if it wasn't such a bad case of people having been murdered there, she might actually go. It was okay to face the entities that didn't meet a painful demise, because half of them were unaware that they were dead.  
"None of the Willis's died. I know, because Kyle and Jess and I helped them move out. It was a very spur of the moment move. Something happened in that house to make them suddenly pack up one day." Haley pursed her lips, staring at Zoe for a moment.

"You think it was already haunted?" Zoe asked, intrigued despite the gnawing terror in her gut. If anyone was going to be able to tell whether the house was haunted or not, it would be her.  
"Could be. The house just has a weird feel to it. When we were helping the family move out, Jess – my secret boyfriend – went up to the attic with one of the Willis kids to bring down some boxes. It wasn't really an attic... more like an attic converted into a big study. Anyway, whatever was up there spooked them badly. I just remember Jess shoving the kid down the stairs ahead of him, and then he grabbed me and dragged me outside. He made me swear to never set foot back in that house. It _was_ pretty scary." Haley blew out her breath. "I mean, Jess isn't afraid of _anything_, so whatever it was had to be really _bad_."

"You promised not to go back there, so why are you going?" Zoe asked suddenly.  
"_Because_ Jess is out of town with his dad and my mom. This is the only chance I'll get without being afraid of getting caught." Haley beamed. "You're coming, aren't you? You don't have to worry, I won't let any nasty ghost near you."  
"I'll have to check with my parents first." Zoe backtracked.  
"Okay." Haley shrugged. "They shouldn't have a problem with it. They'll think we're just kids having fun exploring."

The bell rang to announce the end of the lunch period, and Zoe found her way to her next class. The following couple of hours were a blur to her, her mind preoccupied with trying to come up with a good enough excuse for not attending the party the next night. Her nerves were in a knot by the time she settled behind a desk in her last class for the day. Haley took the desk beside her with a warm smile.  
"Finally, I was wondering whether we would have any classes together!" Haley said.  
"I think we have a couple, actually." Zoe admitted. "The teachers were asking for you earlier this morning."  
"Oh, I've already dealt with them." Haley waved a hand dismissively. "Are you excited about the beach?"  
"I haven't really thought about it." Zoe said as a new wave of anxiousness rushed over her.

"You'll have fun, trust me. If anyone knows how to have a good time, it's Kyle." Haley said. The reassuring smile on her face faded suddenly and she straightened in her seat, eyes darting from Zoe to the front of the class.  
Zoe followed her gaze. Kyle had just stepped through the door and was making his way down the row of desks toward them. His eyes brimmed with anger, and annoyance was carved across his handsome features. He sat down at the empty desk on Zoe's other side.

"Hi, Zoe." He said in a monotonous voice before leaning forward to stare past her at Haley.  
"Uh..." Zoe leaned back uneasily, glancing from one glare to the other.  
"Where _were_ you?" Kyle demanded, keeping his voice low.  
"I was saying goodbye to mom. We won't see her for another three weeks, you know." Haley leaned across the aisle, resting her palms on Zoe's desk as she leered back at Kyle.  
"You mean you were saying goodbye to Jesse." Kyle scowled.  
"It's not my fault he just happened to be there." Haley said defensively.

"You can pretend all you want, Haley. You can fool everyone, but I know what's going on." Kyle snapped. "You know mom will kill you if she found out."  
"I don't know what you're talking about." Haley said.  
"You're going to get yourself into deep trouble, Hales. Don't say I didn't warn you."  
"I can handle it. Just don't try be a big brother and interfere, or tell on me." Haley narrowed her gaze at him. "I've got some dirt on you that will kill your reputation at school. You'll become a social pariah, so don't even _think_ about exposing me."

"Becoming a social pariah would be nothing compared to the consequences you'll have to face up to if mom or dad found out about you two." Kyle said coldly. "You need to stop this, Haley. Before it gets out of hand."  
"You don't know anything. Just drop it already."  
"Give me the car keys."  
Haley sighed heavily, and tossed a set of keys across Zoe's desk at Kyle. She looked at Zoe then with a bright smile before straightening in her seat again.

Zoe saw Kyle shake his head from the corner of her eye, and felt relieved when the lesson started. It was odd being caught between the two of them like that, especially because their discussion had absolutely nothing to do with Zoe. She felt like she'd been openly eavesdropping.

Class ended earlier than Zoe had anticipated because when she looked up again, Kyle was holding a hand to her with a nice smile on his face.  
"Do you want to go hang around the gym? Or I could give you the car keys and you can go wait in the car, if you like. I won't be long."  
"Oh, well..." Zoe said, taken aback.  
"We'll wait in the car." Haley snatched the car keys from Kyle's hand, and confidently grabbed Zoe's arm to steer her out of class.

Zoe wanted to pull a paper bag over her head as they walked through the halls and crossed the parking lot. All eyes were on them, and she knew she wasn't being paranoid about it. Several students called out to Haley as they went by, and to Zoe's disappointment Tanya stood waiting by the slick black car. In the five minutes since the bell rang, the girl had somehow managed to change her outfit. She wore a sunny-yellow heart-shaped top that seemed to emphasize her cleavage, a soft purple miniskirt showing off long golden legs, and a Celtic belly-ring on her slender waist. Zoe felt a twinge of jealousy at the perfectly golden tan of the other girl. She looked like a bland white sheet compared to Tanya's tanned Californian appearance.

"Don't lean against the car," Haley chided once they reached her.  
"Ugh." Tanya muttered, straightening up in dismay. "Where's your brother?"  
"He's busy." Haley replied curtly and unlocked the car. "What are you doing posing like a little tart against our car?"  
"Excuse me?" Tanya snapped, narrowing her eyes at them both.  
"It's going to take a lot more than some skin and legs to sway my brother, you know. He's really not that easy." Haley said.  
She opened the car door and nodded at Zoe. "You can get in or stand out here if you like."  
Zoe rounded the car, eager to distance herself from the glaring Barbie-doll and put something solid between them. She climbed into the passenger side and closed the door, watching as Haley climbed into the driver's seat. Unlike Zoe, who felt immensely threatened by Tanya's glowering presence, Haley seemed oblivious to the other girl. She kept the door open, and Tanya leaned down to glare at them.

"Oh, I see. You just don't want to see him end up with me."  
Haley switched the radio on and pulled a selection of CD's from under her seat.  
"You're both in on this together. You know, new girl, you don't stand a chance with him. Not with me as your competition. _I_ want Kyle, and I will have him whatever it takes, you get me?"  
Zoe blinked, startled, and felt the colour drain from her face. "Well, I'm not stopping you. _You_ said he's nice to all the girls, so why are you threatened by me if I'm not even competing with you?"  
Tanya stared and visibly deflated. Haley sent a curious glance at Zoe.  
"She's got a point." Haley broke the awkward silence. "Kyle took you to that football match the weekend after you first transferred here, remember? He's nice to everyone. Plus, he doesn't know Zoe properly, and Kyle won't just decide to date some stranger he just met."

"Right." Tanya said thoughtfully. A second later her face brightened up. "You're totally right. I'm such an idiot sometimes. Hey, can I get in please?"  
Haley hesitated before climbing out the car and pushing the driver seat down. Tanya climbed into the back as Haley straightened the seat back up. Zoe watched the other girl fix her top and hair in the backseat.  
"I'm _dying_ for a berry smoothie. They make the best at the Chill Bar." Tanya rambled on.  
"Ick." Haley said distractedly, and looked at Zoe with a shake of her head.

"You guys so need to come to my party tomorrow. Promise you'll be there?"  
"We'll see." Haley said.  
"Auw, c'mon, Haley. Your dad won't mind if Kyle comes with you."  
"Kyle's not supposed to know about the Ouija board thing, though."  
"Fine, then he won't know. I'll make sure he doesn't find out." Tanya said exasperated.  
"I'll see if Zoe's going or not." Haley said.

"Are you coming?" Tanya asked with a touch of impatience to her voice as she leaned forward between the seats to look at Zoe.  
"I need to check with my parents." Zoe answered after a moment of hesitation. How could she say no and spoil their fun? It was clear that if Zoe didn't go, Haley wouldn't go either. She knew Haley was looking forward to it, and if Haley didn't go to the party, Zoe doubted Kyle would go either – and that would have Tanya all claws and teeth against her again.

"Oh, just tell them you're going to a study group. Or even better, tell them that you joined the drama class and tomorrow night is your first group meeting." Tanya said with a deep frown.  
"There's no reason for Zoe to lie to her parents." Haley looked at Tanya incredulously. "Really, if they say no, then I could always go persuade them. But there's no reason for lying."  
The three girls were quiet as they listened to the music blaring over the radio. Zoe could feel her cheeks heat up when her mobile started to sing in her pocket. She pulled it out, flustered, and answered quietly.  
"Hi, Mom."  
"Do you need me to pick you up from school?" Mrs Rudolfse asked bluntly.  
"No, I'm going to the beach."  
"Good, because I'm a bit tight for time today. Who are you going to the beach with?"  
"Some kids from school." Zoe cringed and looked away, feeling Haley's eyes on her.  
"Oh, all right then. Be home before dinner time, okay? You need to set the table for us."  
"Okay, Mom."  
"Ask your mom about the party." Tanya piped up suddenly, tapping Zoe on her shoulder.  
Zoe glanced at Tanya, uncertain and annoyed at her intrusion.  
"What's that about a party?" Mrs Rudolfse had heard, and Zoe slumped in defeat.  
"Oh, one of the girls from school is having a party tomorrow night. I'm invited." Zoe admitted.  
"Good, good! I'm glad you've made some friends already, Zoe. I'll see you tonight, dear. Take care." And then the phone went dead.

"What did she say?" Tanya pressed the second Zoe lowered the phone from her ear.  
"I think she said yes." Zoe shrugged uncertainly.  
"Great!" Tanya blew out her breath dramatically.  
Zoe looked up when Haley suddenly climbed out the car and folded the driver seat forward. She slid into the back beside Tanya, pulling the seat back into place just as the door opened and Kyle appeared.  
"Hey," Kyle smiled brightly at Zoe.  
"Hey." Zoe echoed.  
"You girls ready?" Kyle glanced over his shoulder at the others before starting the engine.  
"Do we need to strap in?" Tanya asked dumbly.  
"Like Kyle would scare Zoe into a coma with his manic driving the first day." Haley snorted and rolled her eyes. "We're ready."


	4. Small decisions

The Chill Bar was a very strange place. Zoe took it all in with stunned green eyes. There was a round bar made entirely of glass smack in the middle of the diner, displaying everything from steamy hotdogs to iced teas. The floor was entirely of white and mirror mosaic, but what Zoe found startling was the fact that there were no tables or chairs. Instead, metallic rainbow coloured continental pillows stuffed with something thick and comfortable were scattered about. Two of the walls were painted a deep blue, and the other two walls were made up of floor to ceiling windows beside which Zoe was seated. The sun bathed half the diner in a pool of brightness, and reggae music played from an unseen stereo. The place was buzzing with kids of all ages, and Zoe wondered if it was some playground meant only for children.

"Jess owns this place," Haley interrupted Zoe's thoughts, and she turned to look at the other girl. "Well, he works here all the time so I just see it as his. It's a family business, really."  
Zoe arched her eyebrows and pursed her lips, desperately trying to think of what to say in response. If she had to be honest with herself, she'd become somewhat anti-social since the home-school gig. She'd lost the simple touch of holding a decent conversation.  
"There you go rambling on about him again." Kyle rescued her from the awkward pause. "It's stupid that mom and dad haven't caught on. Everything you say is 'Jess this' and 'Jess that'. It's sickening."  
Haley straightened up on her red pillow and opened her mouth.  
"I'm starved! Come on, Haley, before you two start yet another debate about your boyfriend." Tanya piped up suddenly, rising to her feet and looking down at Haley with an expectant expression on her face.

Haley blinked, and sighed in defeat. "What do you guys want, we'll go get it for you."  
"The normal for me." Kyle said. His eyes met Zoe's encouragingly. "You should go see what you'd like, Zoe. They've got an impressive variety of food."  
Zoe made to get up, but Haley held up a hand to stop her. "How about we surprise you, Zoe? Trust me, you'll be rounding the bar for half an hour just trying to decide what to eat. There's just too much stuff. Unless you feel like something in particular?"  
"Well, no." Zoe admitted.  
"Really, Zoe, you should rather go see for yours..." Kyle started.  
"There will be plenty of time for you to check out what's on offer another time. Really. It's not like you're here on a short holiday, and the bar definitely won't be going anywhere." Haley cut in, sending an odd look at Kyle. Her hazel eyes shifted to Zoe a second later, and her lips twitched into a brief ghostly smile before she turned her back and walked toward the bar with Tanya.

Zoe frowned lightly at their retreating backs. _That was weird_, she thought and glanced out the window beside her. The beach was literally in arm's reach, the glittering cream sand spilling onto the red brick pavement surrounding the diner. There wasn't much wind as far as she could tell, and the deep blue ocean looked peaceful. For a moment, she itched to kick off her shoes and go outside to feel the grainy warmth of the sand between her toes. She sighed softly, and suddenly became self-conscious when from the corner of her eye, she caught Kyle watching her. She straightened up slightly and looked back at him uncertainly.

"What?" Zoe asked awkwardly, feeling her cheeks heat up despite her best effort to hide it.  
Kyle's gaze darted to her lips for a fleeting moment before meeting her eyes again. A small smile touched his lips. "So what do you think of the place?"  
"It's... different." Zoe said, gazing around the room again.  
"The Thornton's _are_ different. Except for Mrs Thornton, she's the only one that seems relatively..." Kyle seemed at a loss for the right word.  
"Normal?" Zoe asked helpfully.  
"Sane," Kyle said after a moment's thought. He shrugged. "No offence intended, of course."

"Of course." Zoe echoed.  
"So when did you move in?" Kyle asked curiously.  
"Oh." Zoe blinked back at him, drawing a blank for a minute. "Ah... about a week ago."  
"I can't believe you've been here that long and I haven't seen you around." Kyle shook his head.  
"I haven't really gone into town just yet. I thought I should try get settled in the new house before venturing out." Zoe said.  
"Hmm. Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

Zoe shook her head slowly. "No." She paused, and added jokingly. "None that I'm aware of, at least."  
Kyle smiled. "Must be nice to be an only child. I can't tell you how many times I wished I was."  
"Don't you and Haley get along?" Zoe asked, surprised.  
"We do, on occasion. She's good fun to have around, but it's when I have to start covering for her momentary disappearances, or when I have to show up and play the hero to get her out of trouble, that's when I start wishing I didn't have any siblings." Kyle sighed, and shrugged sheepishly. "Although I wouldn't trade her for the world. She just doesn't know what's good for her, that's all."  
"You mean her dating this Jess guy?" Zoe asked thoughtfully.  
"Exactly. She's meddling with things my parents spent all their time trying to prevent since I was born. My mom hasn't been dragging us to church and Sunday school for nothing, and the house doesn't have a Bible in just about every room because my mom is religious. It's supposed to be protection." Kyle said and pursed his lips.  
"Protection?" Zoe repeated blankly. "From what, dating?"  
Kyle looked briefly embarrassed before he let out a chuckle and seemed to relax. "Something like that. Everybody has a little weirdness in their family somewhere, right?"

"Right." Zoe nodded. She thought about her mother for an instant, but dismissed the thought. Her mother was perfectly normal, because Zoe knew that _she_ was the really Weird thing in her family.  
"So you haven't been around town yet?" Kyle asked, casually changing the subject.  
Zoe shook her head, and felt her cheeks turn a deeper shade of pink when an expression she was quite familiar to crossed Kyle's face.  
"I could be your tour guide, if you like." Kyle said warmly.  
Zoe turned her head to look toward the bar, attempting to hide her reaction and fighting to keep her conflicting emotions in check. She didn't often fall for guys – Kyle would only be her second crush – but when she did, she fell with an intensity that was both deeply invigorating and extremely frightening.  
"Unless you have other plans?" Kyle said, uncertainty creeping into his voice.

Zoe closed her eyes for a second, weighing her options. Common sense was telling her it would be a bad idea to get involved with this guy. Not that there was anything wrong with him; he was handsome, decent, and he seemed like a real gentleman.  
But then that was the problem. _He's too good for me_, the thought flashed through her mind. Her mother would have a fit when she found out Zoe was seeing someone behind their backs. Her father would need to be restrained from having an all-out temper explosion. She would lose her parents' trust and inevitably disappoint them with her disobedience and dishonesty.

But then common sense was futile in its battle against the scorching feelings she felt. It's not like she fell head over heels for every charmer that crossed her path. It had to be okay that she liked Kyle so much, it had be because he obviously liked her just as much. _It's got to be fate_, Zoe thought fiercely. People didn't just suddenly fall in love with each other on day one for no reason. They had to be meant for one another. _Damn anyone who doesn't like it_, Zoe decided, ignoring the ominous whisper in her conscience that there was deeper and more bizarre grounds on _why_ it would be a bad idea.  
She turned to look at Kyle, and smiled. "No, I'd like that very much."

Ooo888ooO

_**A/N: Thank you for all your reviews, and thank you for reading! I apologize if it seems like the story is dragging, it's not, there really is a purpose why these 'normal' events take place. It would make for more interesting reading when the dung hits the fan, because there will be so much more to mess up and complicate :) Did that make sense? It's better like this rather than jumping straight into the pit of screaming horrors right away. With that said, it's only starting out slow because the pace is going to pick up and build up speed later. Think of it as a rollercoaster ;) The excitement and screams will be worth the slow climb.  
Anyway, as always, your review gives me a kick up the beeehind to get on with the next chapter!**_


	5. Falling in love

Zoe eyed the remains of what had been her lunch; chicken tenders, French fries and the biggest strawberry milkshake she'd ever come across. The chilli flavour from the dip still tingled in her mouth, and the irrational fear that Kyle would decide to kiss her popped to mind.  
"Well now," Haley said, licking her fingers before promptly getting to her feet. "I've got some homework to catch up on, so I'll see you guys later."  
"Oh, pity," Tanya sighed, and gave Haley a dismissive wave. "See you tomorrow."

Haley blinked, and cleared her throat. "I've got some homework to catch up on. As in, homework that I need to copy from you, brainiac."  
"How do you intend to pass this year if you never learn for yourself?" Tanya asked, but got up nonetheless.  
"I've got that covered," Haley smirked, and looked at Kyle and Zoe expectantly. "Well? Are you guys staying for dessert or are you coming?"

"You can walk home, Haley. It's not that far." Kyle replied, expertly avoiding the pleading look his sister sent him. "Zoe and I will hang around here for a while longer."  
"Oh, fine!" Haley grumbled.  
Zoe watched the two girls leave and looked at Kyle shyly.  
"Want to go for a walk?" Kyle extended his hand to her, nodding toward the beach.  
"Sure."  
They kicked off their shoes once outside the diner. The sand felt exactly as Zoe had imagined it would; warm, coarse, and with the sensation came fond childhood memories of frequent beach vacations.

Kyle talked to her about school, which teachers were great and which ones it was best to avoid striking up conversation with. He recounted the victory of their last football match against another local high school, and Zoe shared her own experiences of celebrating victories in different sports.  
"Next match we win, you have to come celebrate with me. It will be my turn to host the Victory Party."  
"I'd love to come. When is the next match?"  
"Not in another couple of weeks. Just before the end of this semester."  
"You must be really looking forward to it."  
"Yeah, so are the other guys on the team. Enough about football. Would you like me to show you all the popular scenes in town?"  
"Sure, let's go."

Sitting next to Kyle with the windows rolled down, the wind blowing through her hair, and soft rock playing across the radio, Zoe felt a distinct emotion stir inside of her. One she wasn't familiar with, and one she couldn't place either. Kyle took her from the local park with its shallow lake to the mall; he showed her a deserted street called Montevideo, which he claimed was the heartbeat of the town when dusk fell and the nightlife scene opened up.

All the while his entertaining narration of the 'hot spots' in town kept Zoe smiling, and she found herself falling harder and harder for him as time wore on. He took her down another street lined with cafes and restaurants, past the historic museum, and finally stopped at the indoors ice rink.  
"You won't think it, but if you stand on the roof you get the best view of the sunset. Which will be in another half an hour or so." Kyle said as Zoe blinked up at the flat rooftop of the simple building, the words _ICE RINK_ emblazed into the wall in thick blue letters.

Zoe glanced at Kyle suddenly as reality struck home, and she tensed when she checked the time.  
"Oh no! I've got to get home." Zoe said, fighting down a panic attack.  
"No problem, I'll take you." Kyle said, starting the engine back up. "Where do you live?"  
"Ah, a few miles out of town. It's about a twenty minute drive." Zoe chewed her lip anxiously as they pulled out of the parking lot. "I'm supposed to be home before dinner time. My mom is going to crack a coronary if she gets home and I'm not there."

Kyle chuckled, but his smile disappeared when Zoe looked at him sharply. "Twenty minutes? Which way, south or east?"  
"Do you know where Wood Bush Lane is? I think you take the Old Honey Oakes highway to get there." Zoe said, rubbing her forehead worriedly. If Kyle didn't know where it was, she was going to be in big trouble...  
"You mean Moon Ridge area? Where all the farms are by that forest outside town?"  
"You know where it is?" Zoe said in a rush of relief, leaning her head back when she looked at him gratefully.

"Sure, I've been there with my folks a couple of times, doing the family camping thing." Kyle shrugged, steering the car in the direction of the highway. "You might want to put your seatbelt on, Zoe."  
Zoe obeyed quickly, her head throbbing with pressure. If she didn't get home before her parents did... or worse yet, if she got home and Kyle didn't have enough time to disappear before her parents realized she was home...  
She was sure she would be a bundle of nerves at the speed Kyle was doing, she'd probably have asked him to slow down, but her heart was racing in anticipation and her head filled with the horrible scenarios she might encounter once she got home. She didn't care how fast they were going, just as long as she wasn't late...

"My mom is up in those hills, actually. She's gone on a hunting trip with Jess and his dad. It's a quarterly thing they do." Kyle was saying.  
"Oh? So why didn't you guys go with them?" Zoe asked, feigning interest. She had to give him some Brownie-points for trying to distract her from stressing so much.  
"We've got school, and my dad doesn't seem interested in hunting." Kyle shrugged.  
"And Jess's mom?"  
"She prefers to stay home. It's a thing my mom and Jess's dad has been doing for a long time, so I think everyone else just feels like they'll be intruding if they went along. Except for Haley, of course. She always begs to go with them."  
"That's kind of strange, isn't it? Unless your dad isn't the jealous type of guy." Zoe said, quietly reflecting that she would rather tie Kyle up in a closet than let him go somewhere with another girl.  
"He is," Kyle grimaced. "I mean, he can be when he wants too. But it's best for everyone if he just lets my mom do her thing. Besides, it's not like there's anything between her and Julian." Kyle said the last more to himself than Zoe.

She watched him curiously as they drove on in silence. The houses and buildings around them morphed into forest and shrubbery. Zoe chewed her lip nervously before speaking again.  
"I'd like to meet your family sometime. I mean, I've heard so much about them already, it feels like I know them." Zoe said to his surprised glance.  
"Sure, I'd love for you to meet them." Kyle said after a moment, a small smile spreading across his lips.  
"Oh, it's down this road." Zoe said quickly, straightening up in her seat and pointing to the left side of the road.

Kyle slowed the car down and turned up the uneven tar. Zoe swallowed hard as they drove up to her house at the end of the lonely cul-de-sac. She let out a gush of relief when she saw neither of her parents' cars outside the house.  
"So, this is where you live?" Kyle asked, cutting the engine and peering out at the old house.  
"Yeah. It's a bit of a mess, but my parents think it adds character to the house." Zoe said, cheeks flushing.  
"It looks old." Kyle said, squinting at the house before turning to look at Zoe when she opened her door. "Is someone home? I could always hang around until your parents get home."  
"Oh, no, as much as I'd want you to stay, today really isn't a good day. I'll be fine," Zoe said over her shoulder as she got out of the car. She turned back and offered him a warm smile. "Maybe next time, though."  
"Next time, then." Kyle said, his smile uncertain.

Zoe closed the car door and jogged up to the front door. She looked over her shoulder when she heard him start up the engine again, and waved as he pulled out of the driveway. She opened the door and stepped into the house, closing her eyes and sending a quick prayer of thanks. It was as she closed the door behind her that she heard the familiar growl of her father's car coming up the drive.  
Zoe became animated then, dashing to the kitchen to hastily grab placemats and silverware, and rushing to set the table. She just put down the last napkin, out of breath and heart jarring in her chest, when the front door opened and her parents came inside.

"Hey guys." Zoe called and peeked her head into the kitchen at the sound of rustling plastic bags.  
"Hi, Zoe. How was your first day?" Mrs Rudolfse asked, distractedly unloading takeaways from the bags.  
"It was okay. How was yours?" Zoe asked, leaning against the doorframe.  
"Oh, it's different every day." Her mother replied. "Table set?"  
"Yes." Zoe said.  
"Who is the boy?" Mr Rudolfse asked as he poured coke into glasses.

Zoe paused, her mind momentarily freezing over.  
"The one we drove past on the street, Zorada." He added in a less patient voice.  
"Oh. That's Kyle." Zoe answered vaguely.  
"A friend you made today?"  
"He's actually the brother of one of the friends I made today. His mom is out in the hills on a hunting trip, so he offered to give me a ride home since it was on his way." Zoe said, wondering whether she was only bending the truth or straight out lying.  
"Oh." Mr Rudolfse said, and Zoe was thankful that was all he said about it.

"Is he the brother of the girl who invited you to her party?" Mrs Rudolfse asked as they carried the food through to the dining room.  
"Um, no." Zoe frowned and sat down.  
"Good." Mr Rudolfse muttered.  
"Sounds like the kids are really nice here. Parties, rides home – and on your first day, no less. Perhaps they have different mentality here than back in Texas." Mrs Rudolfse commented.  
"Well I wouldn't really know seeing as I didn't actually _go_ to school in Texas." Zoe said, earning startled looks from both her parents.  
"Where is that attitude coming from, Zoe?" Mr Rudolfse chided.  
"Sorry. It's just been a long day, I guess." Zoe sniffed, loading her plate with sweet chilli sauce, chicken and rice. "I'm going to eat in my room."

"But Zoe..." Mrs Rudolfse protested.  
"I've got tons of homework to do." Zoe lied, and hurried to her room before either of her parents could stop her. She ignored the faint flare of guilt she felt. So what if she didn't actually have homework? If she had to be honest with herself, she wanted to be alone. She couldn't exactly think about Kyle with her parents watching her like hawks. Besides, her parents would just spoil her day if she said one thing they didn't like, and they were bound to pester her with a hundred questions about the kids she made 'friends' with today. She didn't have to guess to know they wouldn't approve of her being friends with a girl who didn't seem to take her academic future very seriously and who had a secret boyfriend and was into doing everything she was told not to. 'Bad influence' is what her parents would call Haley; which would be a pity, Zoe thought. She kind of liked Haley.

Zoe nibbled on her supper, sitting cross-legged on her bed as she reflected on her day. She caught her thoughts drifting back to Kyle every few minutes; to his warm dark eyes, his dimpled smile, his rich deep voice, his heart-warming laugh...  
Zoe didn't leave her room until she heard her parents retreat to their room for the night. She carried her dishes quietly to the kitchen, glancing at the clock on the wall on her way. Half past eleven. Zoe let out a sigh, and froze the moment she set foot in the kitchen.

The lights were off, of course, leaving most of the house in shadow. But Zoe could clearly see an old woman sitting on one of the stools by the breakfast nook; a woman in her late fifties, coloured a dull dead grey from her wild hair down to her skin and baggy dress. The bags under her eyes were inhumanly heavy, weighing her skin down to reveal the red flesh beneath her eyes. And she was watching Zoe.

_Dammit_, Zoe thought angrily as she quickly walked to the sink and nearly dropped her dishes into it. She turned around and hurried from the kitchen, watching the old woman rise from the stool from the corner of her eye. _Wonderful. It's like she was waiting for me to come in, waiting to make eye contact and come bug me for the rest of the night._

Zoe stepped into her room and closed her door behind her, knowing that it wouldn't keep the spirit out. _Maybe she'll get the message_, Zoe thought angrily as she planted herself in front of her computer. She was scanning through her email when she glimpsed the old woman appear in the corner of her room. Or maybe she'd walked through the wall, Zoe wasn't sure.

She put on her earphones and selected a band from her list of MP3s that reflected her mood; morbid, angry, screaming music about hate and death. Why couldn't she just be normal, like everybody else? Why did she have to end up with a mother with a weird career and a father with none at all? Why was she cursed with eyes that could see things that other people couldn't? Why was she burdened with an appearance that made her stand out when all she wanted was to fit in?

_Why, why, why? _Zoe thought miserably. She frowned when the old woman suddenly disappeared through her wall again. For a moment, Zoe wondered whether to be relieved or to follow – it was unusual for ghosts to just leave her be, especially when they knew she could see them. She pulled off her earphones, and spun around on her chair to scan her room. Her gaze narrowed when she spotted the tall shadow in the back corner of her room; it ran along the height of her wall, not quite reaching the floor. It was thin, but as she watched it expanded slowly, before shrinking back to thinness. Again. Again. Like it was breathing, or some unseen pulse was running through it. It looked different from the other shadows she was used to, having no distinct lines whatsoever. It was literally just a tall blur, blacker than the darkest night.

For a second she puzzled over this new shadow, wondering why it bothered her so much. It wasn't moving from its position, and it wasn't making any noise. Harmless, like all the others. Zoe turned back to her computer with a sigh, and muffled a groan when she saw it was past twelve already.  
She turned off her computer and walked over to her bed, sending an irritated glare toward the shadow. Maybe if she turned the light on it would go away...

Zoe froze, and turned to face the shadow fully. _That's why it looks different_, Zoe thought, eyes tracing the beams of light from her bedside lamp back to the hovering shadow. She stared at it for a long time, pondering about what to do, and finally deciding not to do anything.  
She slipped under the covers and closed her eyes. "That's a first." She mumbled to herself, shaking off the tremor of foreboding racing up her spine. Usually when the shadows were in her room, she'd simply turn the light on to chase them off. But this one... this one came while the light was already on... how strange...  
Her thoughts mulled into unfathomable words as sleep gently coaxed her into blissful dreams without shadows.

**0oo888oo0**

_**A/N: In case anyone is a bit lost (which you shouldn't be because that means I'm not writing this well enough) Zoe can see ghosts, eg. The boy in the backseat of the car when her mother drove her to school the first day, and the old woman in the kitchen: both ghosts. There will probably be a few more appearances of different ghosts to come, but its really just to emphasize that Zoe's life isn't ordinary (who can be ordinary when they see dead people, right?) **_


	6. Smokey dreams

The chair was hard and uncomfortable beneath her, the oak desk she sat at was covered in random doodles by students who shared her seat. The teacher pacing the blackboard in front of the class seemed like a distant blur, features undefined, and his words nothing but a faint droning sound to her ears.

"Zoe, I'll give you a ride to the party tonight."  
She turned toward the voice, and her lips curled into a smile as she met the warm gaze evenly.  
"I wouldn't say no to that."  
Her smile was met with his. She felt her heart skip a beat in her chest, her cheeks blushing red.  
"I'm glad to hear it." Kyle said lightly. He looked away when Bruce and another guy on the football team noisily settled into their own seats, and they broke into a loud discussion of the upcoming match in a couple of weeks.  
"Zoe, you should wear white to the party." Zoe turned her head, smile still plastered to her face, to look at Tanya.

"White?" Zoe repeated.  
"Yes. That way, when we contact the ghosts in the Willis house," Tanya dropped her voice to a whisper, casting nervous glances at Kyle's back. "They won't hurt us or feel threatened, because white is the colour of innocence and purity."  
"Right." Zoe said. _This girl doesn't know what she's talking about_, she thought.

"I couldn't agree more."  
Zoe froze momentarily at the unfamiliar voice. She glanced at Tanya, who had turned her back and was now leaning over toward Haley. Part of Zoe didn't want to look who the source of the voice was, because the voice itself unnerved her with its beauty. Like a gentle breeze dancing through wet and withered leaves. There was an elemental tone in the deep voice, one that shouldn't be there because it wasn't normal. It wasn't human. Yet, she slowly turned toward it.

A guy was sitting on his haunches right beside her desk. He was wearing snake-skin boots – the skin of an adder or some other poisonous snake, she thought – with black jeans, a matching shirt and an unzipped caramel-coloured leather jacket. His hair was a cascade of curls down to the nape of his neck, the colour a beautiful and unusual mix of hot ginger and pure blonde. His skin looked like it had been soaked in gold, smooth and warm and soft. It was his face, however, that made her stare. His eyebrows were heavy and light of colour, his wide-set eyes like opaque pools fixed upon her. His nose was long, flat, straight, and his lips supple, inviting, a soft rosy colour. His jaw line was as strong and masculine as his forehead, and Zoe wondered whether he was rather one of the teachers instead of a student. But the smile he gave her melted his startling and flawless features, and transformed him into more of a boy than a man.

"Ghosts don't care if you're dressed in the highest fashion or if you're in the nude. But you already know that, don't you, Zoe?" His voice was almost lyrical. Zoe stared at him for another moment, mesmerised, then she straightened up and glanced around the classroom.  
"I'm dreaming." She said, struck with wonder and confusion.  
"Perhaps."  
"I am. People like you don't exist. You're not real." Zoe's voice lost its strength as she was pulled back into the fathomless black eyes. "No person can look like you."  
His boyish smile broadened across his features. It didn't reach his eyes, Zoe realized. They were just black; like glossy opaque stones. They were hollow, with no emotion in them and nothing behind them. At least nothing human.

"Perhaps you're right. But then people like you aren't real either. People can't really see the dead, or the angels, or the gods," the voice took on another note, and Zoe thought he was secretly laughing at her, " or the devils. But you can, can't you, Zorada?"  
"I..." Zoe felt herself go rigid, frozen in place by that startling gaze.  
"People need eight hours of sleep at night. Some can survive on as little as four, though they often turn into the most fickle of moods or they become dazed, like they are under the influence of some drug. But not you, Zoe – you can go for weeks, for months, without any sleep. Sleep is but an option for you, Zoe, your body doesn't need it like everybody else's does."  
"Stop it," Zoe frowned, willing down the hot tears stinging her eyes. If only she could move...

"Humans can't function without light. That is why they sleep at night. That is why they need fire or electricity when they wander through the dark. Humans were created to live in the light, but not you, Zoe. You live in the day because you think you have to conform to everyone's expectations..."  
"Shut up!" Zoe snapped, though her voice came out a feeble whisper.  
"...When the truth is quite simple. You don't belong in the light. You don't belong in a school where your every worry revolves around fitting in with humans. You don't belong in that house with those people who call themselves your parents." Amusement stretched across his features. "You don't..."

"_Go away_!" The sharp coldness of her voice surprised Zoe, but she hid her emotion and glared at the strange guy next to her. It shut him up, at least, but he remained immobile. He stared back at her.  
"Who are you?" Zoe asked, confused as to what else to do or say. It was clear he wasn't going to go anywhere, and Zoe didn't trust the circumstances to try walk away from him. This was no ordinary dream, she knew that much.

"You can call me Umbra, if you must call me by any name." There was a chill in his voice.  
"Umbra." Zoe repeated, and found the strength and courage to scoot her chair away from him.  
"You mean as in _Umbra_? As in a shadow?" She felt her heartbeat accelerate, the adrenaline of terror pumping through her veins.  
"Yes." He smiled at her cunningly. "You needn't fear me, Zoe. I am not here to hurt you. I am here but to serve you as you wish."  
"What are you... you're that shadow, aren't you? The shadow in my room, the one that isn't afraid of the lights..." She was going to start hyperventilating, Zoe could feel herself losing control.

He gave her a slight nod in response. "I came because you called on me."  
"I didn't call on you!" Zoe cried, and she found her legs and the strength to stumble away from him as he too rose to his feet.  
"You did. You _did_. You have questions. I have the answers, Zoe. You want them, you have asked for them. I can give them to you, but they come at a price."  
"Wh...no. _No_. Get out of my head! _Get out!_"

Her desperate shout woke her from her slumber. Zoe sat up on her bed even as the last word escaped her lips. She swung her legs over the side of the bed where a pool of morning light was gathering through her window. She grabbed the first pair of pants her hands fell on, glimpsing the tall lingering shadow in the corner of her room as it curled up into a ball and thinned into the air like a puff of smoke. Zoe pulled on her clothes, glaring at the spot.

"Zoe! Zoe, are you all right?" Her mother's voice called worriedly from down the hallway.  
"Oh, I'm just fine!" Zoe called back, her terror having turned into anger in the midst of her dressing.  
She stormed to the front door and crouched down to pull on her shoes.  
"What were you shouting for?" her mother asked.

Zoe didn't look up at her. "_Nothing._ I'm late." She lied coldly.  
"For school? I can take you if you give me a minute to dress..." Mrs Rudolfse said, confused.  
"Don't bother." Zoe straightened up.  
"Zoe, you can't walk all the way to..."  
"Watch me." Zoe shot over her shoulder heatedly. Her mother's response was cut off by the front door slamming shut with a loud bang behind Zoe.  
She stalked through the thick forest in her backyard, refusing to think, or feel, obsessed to forget everything and everyone. And she did, she succeeded until her mind was blank and all she felt was a dull numbness the anger had left behind.

Her pace finally slowed as she regained control of herself and she could think clearly. Maybe she ought to tell her mother about the dream, and the shadows. But then she'd been so nasty to her mother that morning. Zoe felt guilt sink its claws into her. Her mother hadn't done anything wrong, she didn't deserve to be the victim of Zoe's bad temper. Besides, it was stupid to even think of telling her mother about the dream and the strange boy, because her mother would want to know what happened in the dream. Zoe didn't want to tell her the truth, because everything the boy had said was true. She didn't belong anywhere, not even with her own flesh and blood.  
And the truth hurt.

Maybe she could do some research into the shadows herself, do some reading about dreams and their meanings. She could go to the library and see if they had anything on the subject, or better yet she could ask Kyle or Haley if they knew where she would find information on it. At the thought of Kyle, with his welcoming warmth, Zoe halted in her tracks. _School_.

She looked around, eyes going wide as reality hit home. She turned a small circle, staring up at the high trees surrounding her, and then kicked at the damp shrubbery at her feet as her temper reared up again. She was going to be late for school, if she even got there at all today because she was completely lost.  
"Wonderful. Just _wonderful_, Zoe. What a bright spark you are." She chided herself.  
"The main road is about a thirty minute walk to the west." A voice said, and Zoe screamed.  
She spun toward the source, heart beating up her throat.  
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." It was a boy, a junior by the look of him. He was wearing khaki shorts smudged with dirt, a dark blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and worn-out hiking boots on his feet. His hair was a pretty golden blonde, and his eyes were a beautiful deep blue. He was gorgeous, Zoe noted in the back of her mind as the adrenaline simmered down, but not in an inhuman way.

He was taller than she was, and without a doubt stronger with those broad shoulders and muscular build. Zoe took a weary step away from him.  
"If you want to get to town, though, it's a ten minute hike downhill. That way." He indicated briefly with his hand to the left.  
Zoe looked in the direction uncertainly, and took another step back when he slid his hands into his pockets.  
"Okay. Thanks." She said curtly.  
"I could go with you, if you like. I'm headed that way myself." He looked as uncertain about her as she was of him. "We've run out of water back at the camp, and the streams here aren't purified, so..."  
"Oh, okay."

They looked at each other, both unnerved at the other's presence. They started the easy hike together, glancing at one another cautiously as they went along. It wasn't until they were on even ground and Zoe could see the busy streets of the town up ahead, that she spoke to him again.

"Thanks for, well..." Zoe said uneasily.  
"Yeah, sure. No problem." The boy answered , his tone measuring hers.  
They've reached the street. They stopped, looking each other up and down.  
"I guess I'll see you around." The boy said, backing away from her casually.  
"Ah, yeah. Bye." Zoe held her hand up in a brief wave, and turned in the direction of school.  
She restrained herself from looking over her shoulder to see which way the boy went.


	7. Now is Not the Time

Zoe swallowed heavily as she approached the school building. The parking lot was quiet, and no sound came from within the building itself. She shook off the unnerving feeling that everyone was looking at her through the windows. She jogged up the stairs, wondering what she was going to tell her teachers, and pushed open the door with both hands. She stepped into the corridor and froze, caught off guard. Students were flowing past her, and the sound of a hundred voices washed into her. Zoe stood uncertainly for a moment as the door slowly swung closed behind her. She felt her cheeks flush as curious glances were sent her way.

"You're just in time."  
Haley appeared beside her, arm linked through Zoe's before she could properly register what was happening. "The bell just went for our next class. Which is History, in case you were wondering."  
"Hi." Zoe blew out her breath, thankful as Haley steered her down the hallway.  
"Don't worry about being late. The teachers are much more lenient toward seniors being late than juniors."  
"But you're in our senior class." Zoe frowned at her, startled.  
"Yeah, but technically I'm a junior in their eyes. That's why they harp on it when I'm like, two minutes late for class or whatever." Haley rolled her eyes and grinned. "Where were you anyway?"

"I went for a walk this morning and... sort of got lost a bit."  
"Kyle told me you live out by the woods. You walked _all the way_?" Haley asked, stunned.  
"Pretty much." Zoe shrugged.  
"How did you get lost? You just follow the highway in to town, it's straight forward. Not even I could get lost." Haley said.  
"Well, I got lost in the woods."  
"Oooh." Haley pursed her lips, puzzled. "So how did you get _not_ lost anymore?"  
"There was some guy, I don't know... I think he was out there camping with someone. Anyway, he walked me to town."  
A strange expression crossed Haley's face. "You _think_? Are you sure he wasn't stalking you and got caught in the act?"  
"Ah... no I doubt it." Zoe said, thinking about the boy and the slight awkwardness between them.  
"So... he just walked you to town? Did he ask for your number? I can't imagine any guy doing that just because he's a nice guy..." Haley shook her head suspiciously.  
"Well, no, he said he was heading toward town himself. He said his camp had run out of water or something." Zoe said.

"Hmm." Haley nodded slowly, then narrowed her eyes at Zoe. "He wasn't blonde with blue eyes, by any chance?"  
Zoe blinked at Haley, stumped, then realization struck home. "Oh. Isn't your boyfriend on some hunting or camping trip or something... do you think it was him?"  
"Wait, he didn't introduce himself to you?" Haley arched her eyebrows.  
"Well... we didn't really talk much." Zoe shifted uncomfortably.  
"_Good_." Haley said, and flashed a bright smile. "Sorry. I'm notoriously jealous by nature."  
"You don't have to worry about me." Zoe said.  
Haley shook her head in reply. "As long as Jess goes back to mom and Julian, I'm happy. The last thing I need is for him to come crashing the party tonight."

"He would do that?" Zoe asked.  
"Yeah." Haley shrugged. "And then there would be the hell to pay, of course, if he catches us in the Willis house."  
"Maybe it's not such a good idea then, to mess with Ouija boards and stuff." Zoe said as they walked into the classroom.  
"For what it's worth, Tanya's pretty familiar with Ouija boards. She knows what she's doing, so it's not like we're getting involved with things we don't know anything about." Haley said as Zoe slid into her seat.  
"You're not afraid that there will be bad spirits around? They could have bad intentions. What if they attack us, or if they possess one of us? What if they follow one of us home and haunts us? Aren't you afraid of what _could_ go wrong?" Zoe asked.

"You know there are worse things to be afraid of than ghosts," Haley said in an oddly clipped tone. She relaxed slowly when Zoe looked at her imploringly, and offered a lazy smile. "Like serial killers and deer with rabies."  
Zoe frowned. Something about her tone of voice told her that Haley knew more about the things in the dark than she was letting on; that there was something else she'd wanted to say but decided not to. Haley's eyes moved past Zoe, and Zoe turned to follow her gaze. Tanya had just entered the room, dressed in a light summer dress, but Haley wasn't looking toward the front of the classroom.

"Hi, you guys." Tanya said, flicking her hair over her shoulder before gracefully settling into her seat beside Zoe.  
"Hi." Zoe said, and her frown deepened when Haley slowly sank down behind her own desk. There was something different in her movements, like she was deliberately making her movements slow, the way you would move as not to provoke a wild animal. There was something strange in her face, too. Her eyes seemed darker, and they were fixed on something right beside Zoe.  
"Haley, are you okay?" Zoe asked lightly, afraid of the inexplicable vehemence in her friend's eyes.  
Haley chewed her lip, and finally her gaze shifted to Zoe. She shrugged, and turned away from Zoe.

"Good morning," Kyle's voice startled her, and Zoe whipped around in her chair to look at him.  
"Morning." Zoe said, and felt the chill she'd had a moment before disappear at the brilliant smile he gave her.  
"I missed you in Chemistry this morning."  
"Oh, yeah..." Zoe trailed off uncertainly.  
"Don't worry. Your mom called the school to let them know you might be late. It's very considerate of her, you know, to prevent you getting into trouble for it." Kyle said as he slid into his seat and he looked at her curiously. "Why were you late, if you don't mind my asking?"

"I thought I'd walk today."  
"You walked all the way from your house?" Kyle went still, visibly stumped.  
"Yeah, well... I thought the fresh air and exercise would be good." Zoe said weakly.  
"But... all the way from your... Zoe, that's insane." Kyle leaned toward her, and she found herself frozen and breathless as she stared into his eyes. "That's _way_ too far for you to walk. No wonder you were late."  
"I know but..."  
"That's just stupid, really." Kyle shook his head angrily. "I'll pick you up tomorrow morning."

"Oh, no Kyle, that's not necessary..." Zoe said, surprised.  
"And I'll take you home after school, too." Kyle added firmly.  
"It was just a one-off thing..." Zoe protested, her cheeks flaming in embarrassment when Bruce turned around to curiously watch the conversation.  
"I'm sure Zoe is a big girl, Kyle. She doesn't need an escort all the time." Tanya joined in. "I'm right, aren't I, Zoe?"  
"Yes." Zoe said, looking from Tanya to Kyle with wide eyes. If she'd known walking to school would cause such a fuss...

"Well since we've got your opinion on the matter," Kyle said, narrowing his eyes at Tanya, then looking past her. "What do you think, Haley? You want to add your two cents in here, too?"  
Zoe pursed her lips, looking around the classroom in alarm and praying they didn't attract any more attention than they already were.  
"I think it's a good idea, for now." Haley said, and Zoe looked at her. "Until Zoe knows her way around better and she gets her own means of transport organized, at least."  
"I couldn't agree more."

Zoe turned back to Kyle, wishing she could disappear.  
"Kyle, please don't. My mom can pick me up or something. It's too far out for you to drive me everyday..."  
"I'm not taking no for an answer."  
"But..."  
"I'm _not_ taking no for an answer, Zoe." Kyle said. His eyes were blazing and his tone bore no room for argument. Zoe stared back at him for a few minutes, considering her options until she finally deflated.  
"Okay." Zoe said quietly.

A teacher entered the classroom and called for their attention, before turning to the blackboard to scribble down their next assignment.  
"Zoe, I'll give you a ride to the party tonight."  
Zoe gave Kyle a sidelong glance. "I wouldn't say no to that."  
"I'm glad to hear it." Kyle said, chuckling lightly.  
His attention was stolen away a second later by Bruce, and Zoe blinked at her desk dazedly as she caught scraps of their conversation. They were talking about football. Which was normal, she reasoned, since they were both on the football team.

Zoe felt a cold chill race through her at the memory of an eerily beautiful voice and frightening opaque eyes. She sent a sharp glance at the floor beside her desk. The aisle was empty, there was nothing and no one...  
She slowly looked over to Haley. Had she seen him? What had she been staring at earlier?  
_It was just a stupid dream_, Zoe thought, but her stomach churned. _It's just coincidence that Kyle and I had that conversation. Now, if Tanya...  
_

"Did you hear what I said, Zoe?" Tanya's voice crashed through her raging thoughts.  
"Huh?" Zoe's head snapped in her direction and she blinked, confused. "No, I didn't."  
"Everyone who is going _you know where_ to do _you know what_ tonight must wear white." Tanya sighed impatiently.  
Zoe stared.  
"You know what I'm talking about, right? The _party_." Tanya rolled her eyes.  
"She thinks you've lost your mind." Haley snorted.  
"It's not an occult or anything, don't look so worried." Tanya frowned at Zoe, and dropped her voice to a whisper. "The ghosts won't hurt us or feel threatened because white is the..."  
"The colour of innocence and purity." Zoe interrupted. Her mouth felt dry, her tongue heavy, and her heart was thudding sickeningly in her chest.  
"Exactly." Tanya nodded.

Zoe was barely aware of Haley softly chuckling and Tanya glaring at her in return. The world seemed to squeal to an unreal halt all around her, falling away from her and breaking into small particles of dust. Nothing seemed real. Not the desk her sweaty palms were pressed against. Not Tanya and Haley having a quiet argument beside her. Not Kyle. Not the teacher droning on about something that didn't apply to her. No one and nothing. She was out of her chair and bolted from the classroom before the teacher had time to apprehend her. Her feet carried her down the halls toward the girl's bathroom, her vision blinded by hot tears. Her breath hitched in, fast and shallow.

She was sitting on the floor with her back against the cubicle wall and sobbing uncontrollably into her arms, with no recollection of how she'd gotten to the bathroom, when a light knock came on the door.  
"Zoe? What's wrong?" Haley's voice called from the other side.  
"Nothing." Zoe sobbed.  
"Oh, _open the door_!" Haley snapped.  
"I just need to be alone." Zoe mumbled.  
"I don't think so."  
There was silence, then shuffling. Zoe wiped at her tears with her sleeves and sniffed, looking toward the door. A second later, Haley was flat on the floor and peeking at her through the opening beneath the door. Zoe blinked at her, and frowned.

"Please, I'll be okay. Really."  
"I'm not going away until you tell me what upset you so much."  
Zoe could tell Haley was serious. She thought for a moment, then decided to come right out with it.  
"What were you looking at earlier?"  
There was momentary confusion on Haley's face. "What?"  
"You were looking at something. Next to me, in class. You saw something that I couldn't see. Didn't you?" Zoe said, unable to keep the desperation from her voice.  
Haley looked back at her steadily, and it was a long, dragged out silence before Haley spoke.

"It's not something we should talk about. At least, not here, you know?" Haley licked her lips uncertainly. "But if it helps any, no you're not losing your mind, Zoe. There _was_ someone there."  
Zoe drew a shaky breath. "You could see him then? The boy."  
Haley was looking more uncomfortable every second. "I'm not a psychic dud, so yes I saw _something_. But like I said, now is not the time or place. We'll talk about it some other time, 'kay? Now, will you come out of there, please? We're going to be late for lunch."

Zoe nodded, swallowing down the burning questions that had risen to mind. She got up and unlocked the cubicle before stepping out. Haley was dusting off her hands and knees. They looked at one another for a moment, and Zoe realized they had both discovered a secret they shared. Zoe wanted to ask Haley if she could see ghosts, and if her attitude about ghosts not being real was just a facade. Although, Zoe remembered Haley had told her the day before that she'd never seen a ghost before. Which brought her to two conclusions, as they left the bathroom together and headed for the cafeteria when the bell screamed through the halls. Either today was the first time Haley had seen a ghost. Or the boy wasn't a ghost at all.  
Her gut told her the latter was true. The boy's words echoed hauntingly, menacingly through her mind again. _"You can call me Umbra."_

_**Ooo888ooO**_

**A/N: Another update, another chapter, hooray! A big thank you to ****IAmAVampireI'veLostMyFangs**** for correcting my Latin. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and hopefully my updates will be more frequent so 'stay tuned' : ) **


	8. Sincerity

**A/N: Reviews, please...please... I'm writing and writing, and now I'm starting to have withdrawal symptoms because I'm not getting enough reviews! *ahem* I have a slight addiction to reviews, okay. I like to know people are reading my nonsense and enjoying it as much as I do. And please, don't quit on me because Julian hasn't made his appearance yet. He will, all in good time.**

**Ooo888ooO**

Wanna know who you are,  
Wanna know where to start,  
I wanna know what this means.  
Wanna know how you feel,  
Wanna know what is real.  
I wanna know everything  
_-- Avril Lavigne, Fall to Pieces_

**Ooo888ooO**

"Hey," Haley leaned closer to Zoe when they approached the cafeteria doors. "When Kyle asks about why you were so upset, just tell him it's personal issues at home that you'd rather not discuss. He won't press the subject then."  
Zoe's eyes were still burning from crying, and she blinked them hard before glancing at Haley. "Why shouldn't I tell him the truth?"

"And scare him off? He's really into you, Zoe." Haley said. "He was talking about you non-stop since he got home yesterday."  
"Really?" Zoe asked, her heart doing a hopeful flip in her chest.  
"Are you kidding? I threatened to hit him if he mentioned your name again." Haley grinned at her. "My dad's really curious to meet 'the mysterious Zoe'."

"Your dad?" Zoe's eyes widened. "_What_?"  
"Oh, don't worry just yet. I think Kyle would rather ask you out first before he brings you home to meet our parents."  
"But... to meet your parents? That's..."  
"Serious, I know." Haley lifted her eyebrows and sighed. "If you don't like him that much, you should drop some hints. He'll pick up on them and keep his distance."  
"_No_. No, I... like him too." Zoe shook her head and frowned.  
"Well, good. Then we have an agreement." Haley stopped outside the doors, and Zoe swallowed nervously. "Don't tell him what really happened, not unless you want him to avoid you like the plague."

"Okay." Zoe said. _This is doomed. I shouldn't even get involved with him at all now. If he finds out the truth... the truth about me...  
_The cafeteria was bustling with activity when they stepped through the doors. They joined Tanya and another girl in the lunch line, and the conversation revolved around the upcoming party that night.  
"I'm so stoked that Kyle is coming too, right?" Tanya chipped once they were all seated at a table, armed with their food trays.

"Oh, _yes_, the life of the party." Haley sighed.  
"I invited half the football team, so it looked less conspicuous when I extended the invitation to him this morning." Tanya said, stabbing a fork into her salad.  
Haley and Zoe exchanged looks. Haley licked her lips and shook her head discreetly at Zoe, before flashing a completely fake smile at Tanya.  
"Clever." Haley commented, although it was clear she thought the opposite.

"You don't need to worry one bit about him catching us doing the Ouija. I have a perfect plan of action."  
"You do." Haley said flatly.  
"The California Golden Bears are playing against some or the other team tonight. Live." Tanya beamed. "Not that I planned to have my party the same night as the game, obviously, but after I told the guys they can watch the game on my dad's plasma television with surround sound..." She trailed off, shrugging and smiling cunningly.  
"Very innovative plan, Tanya. I wonder what the world would have come to if it wasn't for coincidence..." Haley said sarcastically.

"Anyway, the game only starts at eight, so that's when we'll slip out to the Willis house." Tanya cut her off.  
"I need to stop by the Chill Bar before I come through." Haley said.  
"What for?"

"Jess played the hero this morning and saved Miss Damsel-in-distress here from ending up on the police's missing people list." Haley nodded toward Zoe. "I want to go see if he checked on his mom as well. Which is, you know, a probability."  
"Poor Mrs Thornton." Tanya shook her head.  
"Yeah." Haley agreed quietly, then straightened up.  
The sombre moment passed, and the discussion moved on to complaints about upcoming school assignments and pop quizzes.

Zoe didn't join in. To be honest, she wasn't all that bothered with the school work that lay ahead. She finished her lunch and sat back to take a good look around the cafeteria. It momentarily amused her how just the day before she'd been sitting alone and had been aware of every one looking at her. Today she was sitting with people as if she'd always been there, as if she belonged there. The throbbing warmth the thought brought to her was brief. She _didn't_ belong there, not really. She still had to put up a facade. She still had to _pretend_ that she was just like everybody else.  
_I don't fit in._  
She caught several students watching her curiously, and her thoughts were confirmed. She stood out in the crowd like a sore thumb. There were no two ways about it.

Zoe stopped when she met another pair of eyes that, unlike the others, didn't turn away the moment she caught them. They looked at one another across the cafeteria for a moment, before Kyle inclined his head and nodded toward the exit doors. Zoe caught his message and watched him get up from his table, leaving his friends in a smooth and casual manner. She waited until he was through the exit doors before licking her lips and turning to her own table.  
"I'll see you guys in class." Zoe said, scooting out her chair.  
"Fine." Tanya said.  
"Wait, where are you going?" Haley frowned.  
"I've got some... stuff to do." Zoe said.  
Haley's frown deepened. Zoe saw her look toward the football players, and her gaze cleared slightly.  
"Okay, catch you later then."

Zoe dumped her empty tray on the way. Once outside, she paused to look around for Kyle. She took a few uncertain steps into the parking lot until he came into view. He was sitting on one of the garden bunks, just out of sight from the lunch room. Zoe walked over, becoming more self-aware with every step. Her heart beat louder, her fingers tingled, and her palms became damp. She slowly sat down beside him, afraid she'd make a fool of herself by tripping herself, or worse.  
"I don't get why your parents would make you walk to school." Kyle shook his head, but there was no trace of anger in his voice anymore. He seemed genuinely confused.  
"They didn't." Zoe said. _Not this again_.

"Regardless, I'm going to be your chaperone for the next couple of days."  
"I can't say no, right?" Zoe said lightly. Maybe it wouldn't be _so_ bad to drive around with him every day. She quite enjoyed it yesterday...  
"Right." Kyle smiled, then worry swathed his features. "What happened in class this morning? Was it something Tanya did?"  
"Oh, ah..." Zoe paused, gazing back into his concerned eyes. Her heart was telling her to take a leap of faith and trust him with the truth, but her lips were already forming the words her mind ordered them to. "It's personal stuff. You know, family stuff."

"Oh." Kyle said.  
Silence fell over them. Zoe glanced at him, wondering what was going through his mind. He caught her gaze, and gave her an impish smile.  
"You must be used to this."  
Zoe returned him with a confused stare.  
"Being whisked away by some or the other guy. Being told how beautiful you are. How you've stolen their hearts and how they are irrevocably in love with you. How incredible you are." He was speaking easily, but she could tell there was a part of him that was hesitant about the words.

She couldn't respond right away. She was overcome with a soaring sweetness she'd never experienced before. The situation she was in felt unreal – not the frightening sensation she had earlier that she could no longer distinguish between what was real and what wasn't.  
This was a different kind of unreal; the kind where she felt like she was drifting on a soft cloud, afraid that she would suddenly wake up and the dreamy moment would be lost forever.

"I know," Kyle grimaced, pushing his hands on his knees. "It's crazy-talk. I only met you yesterday, and I don't know you well enough to be head over heels in love with you. But..." He trailed off, and shrugged.  
"But what?" Zoe pressed quietly.  
"I can't help the way I feel about you."  
"You mean you're irrevocably in love with me?" Zoe asked lightly, slightly breathless.  
Kyle pursed his lips and stared down at his shoes. "I feel like I've known you all my life. From the moment I saw you, I just knew." He shifted uncomfortably and finally forced himself to look at her. "I knew that you're the one I've been looking for all this time."

She tried to swallow. She tried not to swoon at his words. She fought the irrational fear to run away when he looked at her with a passion in his eyes that mirrored her emotions. She forgot to breathe.  
"It's clichéd. You've probably heard it a hundred times from different guys before. But," Kyle folded his hands together helplessly. "It's the truth."  
He watched her, uncertain. Zoe caught herself staring at him, and her cheeks flamed up.

"Ah, well..." Zoe cleared her throat, embarrassed. "I didn't think you'd be the type of guy who falls in love with complete strangers." It was on the tip of her tongue to add that she'd received that information from Haley, but stopped herself when he spoke.  
"I'm not." Kyle said. "I mean... you're different."  
This time it was Zoe who looked away. No one had ever told her that to her face before. She could always see the thought in their eyes, but no one had actually ever _voiced_ it. She had always thought about how horrible it would be when one day someone did say it. But it wasn't horrible, not at all.

In fact, she quite liked the way he said it.  
"I know, it's too much too soon..." Kyle started.  
"No. It's okay." Zoe said.  
"It is?"  
"I feel the same way about you." Zoe said softly.

Kyle let out a deep breath, and broke into a smile that melted her down to the core. The hesitance she'd sensed in him before evaporated into thin air. Zoe smiled back at him shyly.  
"Do you mean it? You're not just saying that because you feel sorry for me or anything?" Kyle asked, doubt seeping into his smile.  
"I'm the kind of girl who doesn't feel any empathy for the arrogant jocks who think they rule. So, no, I'm not just saying it. I mean it."  
"You don't think I'm arrogant, do you?" Kyle asked awkwardly.  
Zoe burst into genuine laughter. "I know a surprising amount of arrogant people, but you're not one of them, Kyle. _You_ are the most sincere person I've ever met."  
Kyle smiled quietly. "I try to be good."  
"I don't think you need to try. I think you just... are. Naturally." Zoe said earnestly.  
Kyle chuckled, half embarrassed, and shook his head when the bell rang.  
_Not already!_ Zoe thought, surprised at how fast the time had gone. Disappointment filled her to the brim when Kyle stood up and held his hand to her.  
"Where do you want me to meet you after school?"  
"Oh, I'll... meet you by the car," Zoe said, glimpsing the slick black car at the far end of the parking lot as she allowed him to help her up.  
"Great."

They stepped into the building as students began to weave through the corridors.  
"See you later, Zoe." Kyle said, giving her hand a gentle squeeze before joining the flow of foot-traffic.  
Zoe stayed rooted to the spot, her heart throbbing with delicious delight.  
"Looks like the cat got the mouse," Haley appeared next to her suddenly, and Zoe jumped. "And ate it too, if your face is anything to go by."  
"Well..." Zoe admitted sheepishly.  
Haley giggled and once again linked her arm through Zoe's. "As much as I _love_ the idea of you and my brother hitting it off, please spare me the details. I _am_ his sister, y'know. Now, we have to get to English class. I heard we're going to be quizzed on our basic knowledge of Shakespeare."  
As the two friends made their way to class, Zoe couldn't help but feel that she finally found a place where she could belong.


	9. Weird exchanges

Zoe had to restrain herself from skipping to the parking lot once the last bell sounded through the school. She arrived at the old black car and leaned against the wall to wait. Students walking past were watching her with open curiosity. Zoe hugged her arms to her. She always felt so exposed when people stared.

She swallowed a sigh of relief when she saw Kyle and Haley slowly walking toward the car. They seemed deep in discussion, and Zoe realized they were oblivious to the looks the other kids sent their way. Zoe couldn't place what it was. She sensed hostility from some of the girls, their looks like daggers toward the brother and sister. But the majority appeared to be intrigued, the way they curiously watched Zoe, too.

"We're going to go by the Chill Bar before we drop you off. I hope you don't mind much." Haley said the moment they were in earshot.  
"No." Zoe shook her head, and felt heat rise to her cheeks when Kyle caught her eye.  
"Good." Haley said.  
She climbed into the backseat, and Zoe took the front passenger seat. She felt too aware of everything, being so close to Kyle. It was unnerving, and exhilarating at the same time.

Kyle started the car and they pulled out of the parking lot. Zoe was relieved when they finally left the probing eyes behind them.  
"I'm really sorry, Zoe. You didn't have any plans for this afternoon, did you?" Kyle asked.  
"No, it's okay. I don't mind. It's not like I have anything to do at home." Zoe admitted.  
"Mrs Thornton is very over-protective about her son. When you told Haley that Jess came in to town with you this morning, she's been nagging me that we need to go stop by the diner."  
"Because Jess would have stopped by to check on her." Haley said.  
"And that's a bad thing?" Zoe asked hesitantly.

"Mrs Thornton would be worried that something's happened to him. She won't be impressed to find that he's walked all the way by himself, or that he would have had to walk all the way back alone either." Kyle said.  
"Really?" Zoe frowned. "I don't think she should worry. He didn't look like the type of guy you'd want to just pick a fight with. Not without coming off second best."  
"Yeah, he's got that way about him." Haley said.

"There's no doubt he can take care of himself." Kyle agreed. To Zoe he said, "Jess is a bit... different from the rest of us."  
The conversation was left there, but Zoe couldn't help but wreck her mind trying to figure it out. He hadn't seemed any different from anybody else. Not to her, at least. He looked like a perfectly normal boy. One, of course, who had been blessed with killer looks.  
They pulled up in front of the Chill Bar, and Haley got out.  
"I'll be as quick as I can, okay? Just give me like two minutes." Then she was gone.

Zoe turned to Kyle. She hesitated. "Is he gay?"  
Kyle leaned back in his seat and met her question with a confused expression. "Who?"  
"Jess."  
Kyle gave a whole-hearted laugh. "Not Jess, no. He's a real lady charmer. A chauvinist even, but don't tell Haley I said that. Between you and me," Kyle leaned closer and dropped his voice to a dramatic whisper. "The only time the female population at school are sane, is when Jess is out of town. They all just go bonkers when he's around."

Zoe thought this over. "Is _that_ what you meant when you said he's different?"  
"Sort of." Kyle suddenly looked uncomfortable. "He has a certain effect on people. I don't think he even realizes the chaos he causes wherever he goes, and it's all unintentional of course."  
"Hmpf." Zoe sat back and watched the beach thoughtfully.  
"What?" Kyle asked.  
"I just find it funny. I didn't perceive him that way."  
"I'm glad."  
Zoe glanced at him, puzzled, then straightened up when she saw Haley in the doorway of the diner, talking to an older woman. Mrs Thornton was dressed in a pair of jeans and a pretty green blouse, her blonde hair hanging in long dark honey curls around her shoulders. Haley motioned to the car briefly as they talked, and then she started toward them.

Mrs Thornton glanced toward the car, and the tired smile on her face disappeared the moment her eyes rested on Zoe. She called out something that Zoe couldn't discern through the closed car window. Haley halted in her tracks and spun around. A few more words exchanged, and then Mrs Thornton started toward the car.

Zoe felt her throat close up. There was something in the way the woman had looked at her...  
Haley appeared next to Zoe suddenly.  
"Would you mind sitting in the back with me?" Haley asked, and smiled reassuringly at Zoe's flustered expression. "The gypsy woman wants a ride to the camp."  
"Haley, shut it," Kyle snapped through gritted teeth.  
"Sure, okay," Zoe said. She got out just as Mrs Thornton reached the car.  
Up close Zoe could see her eyes were green; dark green like pine needles, and there was something in their depths that deeply unsettled her. Mrs Thornton looked Zoe up and down, without making any attempt of doing so discreetly. Zoe shifted her weight uncomfortably. Something like recognition and disbelief filled that scrutinizing gaze a second later.

"Hi, Mrs Thornton." Kyle called from inside the car.  
"Hello, Kyle." Mrs Thornton finally tore her gaze away, and Zoe felt like running as fast as she could while those eyes were turned away from her.  
"Come on, get in." Haley nudged her lightly before sliding into the backseat of the car herself.  
Zoe followed suit, and leaned weakly back into the seat as Mrs Thornton got into the front.  
"How was school?"  
" Fun." Haley snorted.  
"Fine," Kyle said at the same time.  
"And who is your friend?"  
"This is Zoe," Haley said, and slumped an arm around Zoe's shoulders in an almost proud gesture. "My new best friend. She moved to town not too long ago."

Kyle started the car and pulled out of the parking space, frowning lightly when he caught sight of Zoe's pale face. Their eyes remained locked until Haley spoke again.  
"And she's Kyle's girlfriend."  
Kyle glared at Haley for a second, and mumbled something under his breath as he turned around in his seat and pulled the car onto the road.  
"Don't get ahead of yourself, Haley." Kyle snapped a second later.  
"What? I'm not... oh," Haley said, meeting Zoe's flustered look. "_Oh_. Sorry. I thought you were together already."  
"Nothing is official yet." Zoe said quietly.  
"Why don't you make it official then? At the party tonight." Haley suggested, and won another glare from Kyle.

"Now, don't fight, Kyle." Mrs Thornton said gently, placing a hand on his shoulder.  
Whatever Kyle was about to say died on his lips, and he focused on the road with an angry frown.  
"Haley. You know better than to pry into business that's none of your concern." Mrs Thornton continued in quiet tones.

Haley let her breath out and glared out the window. Kyle turned the radio on, and music filled the car. Zoe swallowed heavily, catching sight of those green eyes fixed on her in the rear view mirror. They never left her face, not once, and Zoe feigned ignorance. She didn't know why it upset her so much – she was accustomed to people staring at her.

The drive to her house felt like an eternity. All she wanted was to put distance between herself and this stranger. She suppressed a sigh of relief when they finally stopped outside her house. Zoe climbed from the car.  
"Thanks for the ride." She called to Kyle, backing away from the car and those piercing green eyes.  
"I'll pick you up at six." Kyle called back.

"See you then." Zoe replied, and turned to jog up to the front door. She slipped into the house and leaned back against the front door, closing her eyes and taking deep steady breaths. She heard the car drive off. She didn't move for a long time. Silence roared in her ears. Zoe was used to things out of the ordinary, even accepting it as 'normal'. _But that was definitely weird_, Zoe thought, and came into motion when her stomach gave an upsetting growl.

She finished a bowl of Corn flakes, wandering aimlessly through the house. She could still see the woman's eyes in her mind. _Why is it bothering me so much? She's just like everybody else... _  
But she wasn't just like everybody else. Some small part of her acknowledged that fact, and Zoe tried to put her finger on it. What was different about her? Sure, she hadn't exactly oohed-aaahed about Zoe's looks as most parents do, but maybe she just wasn't the type of person who felt comfortable voicing compliments. What was it? _What was it about her_?

Zoe tossed her empty bowl onto her bed and threw open her closet doors. She scanned through the contents briefly and decided on a pair of cream bell-bottoms and her old white tennis shoes. She pulled on a low V-cut blouse and yanked a white duster jacket over that angrily. Why couldn't she figure out what was different about Mrs Thornton? Maybe she was crazy and that's the vibe Zoe was picking up on. Or maybe...

Zoe spun around, breath frozen in her throat as her eyes fixed on the shadow in the corner of her room. She stared at it for what felt like forever, every muscle in her body rigid with tension. The shadow didn't move. It remained hovering just above the floor, squished into a long thin shapeless form. She took a slight step toward it. It didn't move.  
She glanced out her window, at the blue sky and the sun losing it's strength. She looked back at the shadow and narrowed her eyes at it. Zoe turned and left her room, strange green eyes and the unnerving feeling forgotten for the moment. She picked up the phone and punched in her mother's number.

"Celeste Rudolfse..." Her mother answered.  
"Hi, Mom, it's me."  
"Hi, sweethe..."  
"I'm just calling to remind you I won't be home for supper. I'm going to the party at six."  
"Alright then. Just don't come home too late, you've got another school day tomorrow."  
"I won't. Bye" Zoe hung up without waiting for a response and went to the lounge.

The TV proved to be bad company. Zoe sighed at another rerun of the Riki Lake show – this one with people who believed they were vampires and actually participated in the consumption of blood.  
A faint noise caught her attention, and Zoe sat up, startled. Was someone in the house?  
She sat quietly for another moment. There it was again. A very clear _psssssssttt_ sound coming from the next room.

Zoe frowned and turned off the television. Silence roared. She stood up from the couch, slowly, listening. A floorboard creaked.  
"Is someone there?" Zoe called, half-annoyed, half-scared.  
There was shuffling. Then, a curt response. One word, but she couldn't make it out – and the voice was slightly different...  
Zoe carefully walked to the archway that separated the lounge from the dining room. She rested one hand on the wall there, and cautiously peeked into the room.  
A young woman sat on one of the chairs, pale blonde hair hanging like silk around her shoulders.  
"How did you get in here?" Zoe rapped out, not knowing whether she ought to feel relief or fear that the intruder wasn't exactly a living person. Though, she regretted speaking to it as soon as the words left her mouth. _Stupid, Zoe. Now you'll have this dead girl hanging around you for who knows how long..._

"Eyes..." The girl looked up, and her eyes met Zoe's directly.  
"Look, I don't really have time to make small talk with dead people. So, if you don't mind, get out of my house." Zoe snapped.  
"Eyes... like midnight diamonds... so deep, so black... so black..." The girl said, clutching her arms and rocking back and forth, all the while watching Zoe. "I wanted to have it all. That's all I wanted... doesn't everybody want it?"  
"I don't want it. Get out." Zoe said angrily.

"Nobody warned me. Nobody told me the truth." The girl stood up fast. She grabbed at her hair. "_Nobody warned me!_"  
Zoe retreated a step, narrowing her eyes at the ghostly girl.  
"Lies. All lies. He _tricked me!_ He said I could have it all... and now I'm stuck here!"  
Zoe let out her breath, gave the agitated spirit another look up and down, then turned to go back to the TV.  
"He's after you! I saw it! I heard it!"  
Zoe turned back and frowned at the girl.  
"They... are all..." the girl seemed to be gasping for breath. "...coming... after you... Zoe... you have to... you have to... protection... from... from..." The girl was pulling at her hair anxiously, eyes wild in her head. "Ju..."

The girl stopped short. She seemed to freeze over.  
"How did you know my name?" Zoe asked. This was a bit off cue from her normal dealings with her mother's 'patients'.  
Zoe staggered back and flattened herself against the wall when the girl suddenly spun around, letting out the most blood-curling scream Zoe had ever heard, and repeatedly ran straight into the opposite wall. Zoe cringed at the horrible thud the girl made when she hit the wall – and she hit it with surprising force, leaving traces of blood every time. All the while the scream was going on, and on, and on, until Zoe's numbed legs were kicked into motion by adrenaline.

She found herself outside the house, on her knees, hyperventilating. She had no memory of how she'd gotten outside, but she could still hear the hair-raising screams from inside the house.  
When firm hands suddenly clasped onto her shoulders, Zoe screamed too.


	10. HIS First appearance

"Shit, sorry!"  
The response was not what Zoe had expected and she swallowed the rest of her scream. The hands let her go the second she was back on her feet. Zoe blinked, and stared.  
"Are you following me?" Zoe asked the first question that popped to mind. She could only take so many heart-racing events in one day – it was all getting too much. First the dream last night, then this morning with the déjà vu, the strange shadow, the weird Mrs Thornton, and then the ghost...  
"No." The reply came indignantly.  
"That's the second time today! Do you get off on scaring people like that?" Zoe demanded shakily, taking a step away from him. Her fear sank into a pit of fumes, and anger gave her more strength. "What are you doing here, Jess?"

"I thought I heard screaming." Jess said. He frowned and glanced toward the house. "It wasn't you, was it?"  
"I... no." Zoe breathed, and followed his gaze to the house. Silence. The screaming had stopped. Regardless, Zoe didn't want to go back in there.  
"Are you okay?"  
Zoe looked at him, puzzled. "What?"  
"You look a bit shaken."  
"No, I'm fine. I just... I've been having a really weird day." Zoe frowned when Jess snorted. "What's so funny?"  
"Define _weird_." Jess said.  
"Anything and everything out of the ordinary." Zoe said. "Something that doesn't make sense."  
"Like pigs flying?"  
Zoe stared at him for a moment, dumb-struck. What a stupid example...  
"Or, say, elephants hatching from eggs? That type of weird?" He continued, pacing in front of her and motioning gracefully with his hand.  
It was then Zoe realized he was taunting her. His eyes were laughing at her.

"Don't be stupid." Zoe said and shook her head. "You wouldn't understand."  
"And you wouldn't know weird if it looked you in the eye." Jess retorted.  
"Oh, and you would?" Zoe demanded.  
"I'm the embodiment of weird." Jess beamed.  
"Well..." Zoe tried to think of the most hurtful thing she could say. "You must have inherited that trait from your mom then."  
The insult glided off his shoulders like water. "Actually, no, she's pretty... ordinary. _You_, on the other hand, are not. Obviously." His tone became mocking. "You don't look ordinary, and you don't sound ordinary. If there was anything weird about your day, I'd say you were it."

"Get off my property before I call the police." Zoe pointed toward the woods, furiously trying to blink away the tears that had surfaced. _Don't cry in front of him, don't Zoe..._ But his words were hurtful, and Zoe couldn't keep the lump from her throat or stop her tears.  
"Go ahead. Knock yourself out. Tell them Jesse Thornton is on your doorstep and won't leave you alone. Go ahead, see what they say." He said shrewdly.  
"I don't know what Haley sees in you." Zoe spat at him. "You're just a nasty... sadistic... arrogant... bully!"  
"She sees what every other girl in town sees – something they ought to stay away from but can't resist." Jess glared at her. "But I appreciate your opinion."  
"Just leave me alone." Zoe turned to go into the house, but halted in her tracks when he grasped her hand. Zoe looked at him, startled.

"I'm sorry. I came here because I heard screams – I wanted to _help_ you. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. It's just... when people start talking about how weird this or that is, it gets to me because my whole _life_ is just plain weird." Jess said, genuinely apologetic.  
"Oh, _your_ life is _weird_?" Zoe repeated, and yanked her hand free of his grasp. "Oh, _shame_. So you see dead people and angels and devils, and just pretend that you don't?"  
Jess took a startled step back, yet he reached for her again. Zoe jumped out of his reach, glaring at him furiously through her tears.  
"So you have to deal with hearing things that other people don't, feeling and smelling things that other people don't? So you work differently from everybody else but put up a farce to prevent them from questioning your existence?" Zoe continued and broke off in a sob. "Oh, I _feel_ for you, Jess, I really do."

"Who have you been talking to?" Jess demanded, but his words fell on deaf ears.  
"If you don't leave right now, I'll get my dad's shotgun and shoot you, I swear it." Zoe cried angrily.  
"You're not..."  
"_Enough_." A voice snapped from the shadows of the woods.  
Both heads whipped in the direction, and Jess backed away from Zoe obediently.

A man stepped out from the shadows, bleach-blonde hair glaring in the dimming sun. There was something graceful and frightening in the way he walked toward them. As he approached, Zoe could make out details more clearer; like the straight nose, the sculpted lips pulled tight in unmasked apprehension, the almost too perfectly defined cheekbones, the thick black eyebrows knitted together in a faint frown, the long dark eyelashes that framed cat-tilted eyes – eyes an indescribable shade of blue that held her own gaze captive with its sheer inhuman beauty. He stopped a few feet away from her. Up close he was even more... beautiful, like a painting. He was too flawless, too perfect. _Real people don't look like that,_ Zoe thought dumbly. She couldn't pin an age to him either – there were no wrinkles or fine lines to give away his age, he looked quite young in fact, but his eyes held an ancient wisdom in them that made him seem suddenly very, very old to her.

The world seemed to be spinning and falling into mist around her. It wasn't until those vibrant blue eyes turned away to fix on Jess, that Zoe realized she'd been holding her breath all the time. She let it out in a discreet, slow exhale.  
"Go back to camp. Faye is waiting for you." His voice was different, too, holding an elemental sound that wasn't normal, or human. Like water over rock. It reminded her of the guy in her dream the night before – with the unnaturally beautiful voice...

Zoe stumbled a few steps away from the stranger before her, staring wide eyed. She didn't know who he was, and she didn't care – all she knew was that the guy in her dream was the shadow in her room, and that the guy standing in her backyard at that moment was the same _thing_ that the shadow was.

"But... she's just a drama queen, she wouldn't have really shot me." Jess protested.  
"Right now." The man said curtly.  
"I just wanted to help." Jess mumbled. He looked at Zoe as he walked past her toward the woods. "See ya."  
"I sure as hell hope not." Zoe retorted sharply, breathless with anxiety to have them both gone.  
Jess disappeared into the woods. Zoe eyed the man cautiously as he finally turned back to her. It felt like she was thrown into arctic water when he looked at her; her whole body just seemed to stiffen, her breath rebelled in her lungs, and she found her mind filled with nothing but the wrongness of his splendour.

He looked at her for a long time. She wanted to tell him to leave, but her voice didn't come at command. She didn't trust herself to move, either.  
_Why is he just staring at me?_ Zoe wished for all the world that she could just turn invisible. She didn't move when he reached his hand toward her. She blinked when he wiped away the tears on her cheeks – his touch was so light, so soft that she barely felt it. He slid his hands into his pockets, gave her another long measuring look, and promptly turned his back on her.  
Zoe could move again the moment his eyes left her, and she pressed both her hands against her cheeks, watching him cross the yard in a couple of strides. He slid into the shadows, as smoothly as though he was one himself. She stared at the gathering darkness for a few more minutes, confused, when the sound of a car coming up the driveway made her turn.


	11. Friends

Zoe whipped around toward the slick black car. She yanked the passenger door open before the car had come to a complete stop, and flung herself into the seat. She slammed the door shut, and stared out the window at the darkening woods. Her nails dug into the upholstery of the seat as she watched the shadows breathlessly.  
"Zoe, are you all right?" Haley asked from the backseat.  
"Zoe?" Kyle said, gently touching her hand.  
Zoe tore her gaze from the woods with difficulty. She gave them not-quite a smile.

"I'll be okay." Zoe said. Her voice sounded odd.  
"Are you sure?" Kyle frowned worriedly.  
"You're as pale as a sheet, Zoe. And... gosh, your shaking! Kyle, get out of the car." Haley rapped out.  
Zoe blinked at them in confusion as Kyle obeyed, and then they both were pulling her out of the car.  
"I'll get you some water." Haley said over her shoulder as she jogged up to the front door.  
"Don't... don't go in there alone..." Zoe's voice came out a small whimpering sound.  
"Zoe, what happened?" Kyle had his arm around her, and she realized she was only on her feet because he was supporting her weight.

Zoe didn't want to go back in the house. She really, _really_ didn't, but hysteria bubbled to the surface and she ripped herself out of Kyle's grasp. She stumbled toward the house, her head thudding painfully. The door swung closed behind Haley.  
"No!" Zoe shrieked. She didn't know what she was doing or why, but she moved faster than she ever had in her life. She was standing in the empty kitchen without any recollection of how she'd gotten there.  
"Haley!"

"Zoe! Good grief, calm down," Kyle was suddenly behind her, his hands firm and steady on her shoulders.  
Haley appeared in the doorway of the kitchen a second later. "Oh, here it is. Your house is huge."  
Zoe blinked, watching silently as Haley poured a glass of water and then held it toward her.  
"Where is your lounge? Let's get you to sit down for a little while." Kyle said.

Zoe motioned in the direction, and then she was being steered by both Kyle and Haley. They sank down onto the couch together, and Zoe gritted her teeth hard to try stop her hands trembling. She sipped the water down slowly, glancing toward the dining room entrance with haunted eyes.  
"What happened?" Kyle asked again.  
"I just..." Zoe shook her head. Sanity and control was returning, clearing her mind and stilling the tremors through her body. _I can't take another day like this. Nothing about today was right, or normal._

"I guess I just freaked out being alone in the house." Zoe lied, glancing toward the dining room again.  
"No wonder. This place is pretty creepy." Kyle said comfortingly.  
"Did you see him again? The guy from class this morning?" Haley asked with a deep frown.  
Zoe stared at Haley for a long moment before she realized who Haley was referring to.

"I... no." Zoe shook her head and looked down at her lap.  
"What guy?" Kyle demanded.  
"Just some guy." Haley shrugged vaguely.  
"_What guy_?" Kyle asked again. Zoe glanced at him. There was murder in his eyes.  
"Never mind, Kyle, Zoe said it wasn't him. So... what was it?"Haley turned her attention back to Zoe.

"It...nothing." Zoe said.  
"_Nothing_? Really?" Haley said sarcastically, and stood up.  
Zoe stiffened when Haley started toward the dining room. Chances were the ghost was still there, waiting for someone to come in and give it the opportunity to repeat the whole episode again.  
"It... there were people in the woods." Zoe said without thinking. She had to keep Haley from going in there...  
"What people?" Haley paused and turned to look at her, surprised.  
"A... a guy with... with... and Jess."  
"Wait, wait. _Jess_ was _here?_" Kyle shifted away from Zoe.

Zoe frowned at Kyle's response. "Yeah, I think... they were probably just nearby and heard me freaking out..."  
"And what exactly did Jess do?"  
Zoe stiffened. There was something written all over Kyle that she recognized and despised all the same. A mixture of jealousy and possessiveness. There was no trace of the affection or awe he'd shown to her earlier, and Zoe felt a stab at her heart. Kyle was just like all the others. Infatuated with her beauty, blinded by it, enraptured by it, obsessed over it... like a loyal puppy to its owner. He wouldn't dig deeper, he wouldn't want to because the surface was enough for him. He didn't really care about _her_ – and the reality hurt her like it never had before.

"What did he say to you? What did you do, Zoe?" Kyle's voice had turned ugly.  
"Kyle, get a grip." Haley stepped closer to them. "Was it him that upset you?"  
"Half and half." Zoe admitted, shifting uncomfortably under the two pairs of piercing eyes fixed on her.  
"What _did_ he say?" Haley asked curiously.  
"I... he... we debated about the definition of weird." Zoe's mouth was dry. She _really_ didn't like the look on Kyle's face. "And we... had a fight. He said you're just like all the others, that you saw in him something that's forbidden but that you wanted to have anyway." _Shut up,_ her mind was telling her, and Zoe pursed her lips hard.

"Oh. That's rich." Haley arched her eyebrows and laughed bitterly. "What an idiot. I recon my mom and I are the only ones in town that don't fall over our feet for him. Who was with him?"  
"I don't know. I don't know what he is." Zoe said, and her eyes widened. "I mean, _who_ he is."  
"Julian was here too?" The ugliness that had crawled over Kyle was now suddenly gone, replaced by genuine disbelief. Then, "What did he want?"  
"He came after Jess, I think." Zoe shrugged. "He didn't talk to me."  
"Hmpf. Typical." Kyle said in disdain.

"I _thought_ I saw him." Haley said thoughtfully, looking at the window. "He's a slippery one, I never catch him alone. He's always with mom, or Mrs Thornton, or Jess. Julian doesn't socialize with anybody who isn't family."  
"We're not family." Kyle arched his eyebrows.  
"Mom and Julian have known each other long enough to _be_ family. Even if he's not related to us by blood." Haley sighed impatiently.

"I don't know, Hales. I think there's a lot about them that we're not being told..."  
"Maybe that _you_ haven't been told. I know enough." Haley rolled her eyes.  
"Why doesn't he socialize with anybody who isn't family? And how come he was alone with me just a few minutes ago if you say he's _never_ alone?" Zoe asked with a frown.  
"I thought you said he was here with Jess?" Kyle asked.

"Ugh. Shut yer face," Haley pushed a hand into Kyle's face in annoyance. "Julian doesn't like people. Period. And as for why he was alone with you, beats me." Haley shrugged. "I could speculate for hours, but we have a party waiting for our awesomeness to arrive. So, if you're up to it, shall we go?"


	12. Ouija board

Zoe's protests about not feeling up to going to the party had fallen on deaf ears. For every excuse she offered, Haley brought forth a reason for her to go.  
Zoe didn't feel she'd be good company. Haley didn't think Zoe would be any better off staying home alone.  
Zoe didn't think it was a good idea to party when she'd nearly had a panic attack. Haley reasoned rum shots would help calm her nerves.  
Zoe didn't think she would make any friends while she was still shaky. Haley pointed out that Zoe didn't need to do anything because everyone was expecting and looking forward to meeting her at the party.

It was the very real threat Haley made that forced Zoe to suck it up and go to the party.  
"Look, if you don't feel like going to the party, I can arrange to have the party come _here_ with one word." Haley had held up her mobile threateningly. "Either way, it _is_ happening."

Zoe was chewing her nail nervously on the drive to Tanya's house. She was quiet most of the time. So was Kyle. She guessed he must have sensed the change in her; the automatic reaction she had to distance herself from others on an emotional level. Or maybe he was still wound up about her and Jess's meeting. Zoe tried to convince herself she didn't care.  
Haley did most of the talking. Predicting what Tanya might wear. Warning Kyle of a possibly planned occasion when Tanya might corner him alone. Her bets on which football team was going to win the game that night...

Zoe felt her heart skip momentarily when they arrived at Tanya's house. The street was crammed with cars parked up on the sidewalks. Kids littered the sprawling front lawn, music and laughter danced through the evening light. Zoe didn't meet any of the curious eyes that followed her into the house.

Tanya greeted them inside, wearing what Haley referred to as a 'ouch-short' mini dress.  
"Well, you guys look fab!" Was all she said before disappearing into the milling crowd of party-goers.  
Haley introduced Zoe to a few people – Zoe found it all a big blur, unable to remember names or which faces she was supposed to have met already. Every time one person would start a chat with her, three more would come and introduce themselves. There were so many questions flying at her, so many people flogging around her, that Zoe started to feel the disconcerting sensation that she was the life of the party.

She turned down several offers to dance, and she found it strangely exciting to have the girls hang on her every word. It was different to what she was used to. Even though she had always been the girl every guy thought he wanted, and the girl every other girl either hated or wanted to be, it had never before been so _obvious_.

_This is insane,_ Zoe thought to herself. Haley had vanished from her side amid the chaos, but Kyle stuck to her side like a pit-bull ready to attack anyone he felt was a threat. It wasn't long before the inevitable happened.  
They were standing by the buffet table, Kyle getting her a glass of punch, when Bruce approached her.  
"Want to dance, Zoe?"  
"I'll pass, thanks." Zoe offered a smile.  
"C'mon. I'm a good dancer."  
"No, really, Bruce..."  
"It'll be fun. Come on, I promise you'll enjoy yourself."  
"Maybe later."  
"Oh, Zoe, just one little dance, please?"  
"Take a hike, Bruce." Kyle appeared next to her suddenly and Zoe's mouth dropped open.  
"How about you take a hike instead, Locke." Bruce's pleasant smile and warm eyes had turned cold and ugly. "Are you with this loser, Zoe?"  
"Who are you calling a loser?" Kyle snapped, stepping forward.  
"What's gotten into you two?" Zoe gasped, afraid at the hostility between the two friends.  
The two guys paused for a moment to look at her.  
"Zoe doesn't want to dance with you." Kyle broke the awkward silence.  
"Because of you?" Bruce asked through gritted teeth.  
"Yeah, maybe." Kyle smirked.

They were right in each other's faces now. Zoe stood, rigid, cringing, waiting for the first fist to swing and break the argument into a full-out fight.  
"Can you two please quit it?" Zoe cried out when Bruce gave Kyle a good shove.  
"Hey!" Haley appeared out of nowhere, grabbing Zoe's arm. "Zoe's not dancing with either of you morons. The game is starting, so you'd better get your butts in there if you want good seats."

Zoe allowed Haley to lead her away from them. She let out a slow breath of relief. "Thanks."  
"That was really weird. They were acting like..." Haley stopped herself and sent Zoe a curious, suspicious look. "Like idiots."  
"There you guys are," Tanya hissed from behind them, and they were both steered toward the sliding doors leading onto the backyard.

"Is everybody else already there?" Haley asked over her shoulder.  
"Yeah, Kim is setting up the stuff." Tanya said.  
"What stuff?" Zoe asked, alarmed. Her heart had involuntarily picked up speed, and now she was doubting whether she wanted to do this at all.

"You'll see." Tanya said.  
Zoe felt her confidence fritter away when the Willis house came into view. The white plastered walls gleamed eerily in the moonlight.  
"Maybe we should think about this..." Zoe started when Haley threw open the gate.  
"We did." Tanya said impatiently.  
"I don't think this is such a good idea." Zoe said weakly.

No one replied. They followed the footpath around to the back of the house, and stepped through the back door. They were in a dimly lit and empty kitchen. Zoe glanced over her shoulder at the door as it swung shut, and froze. She took a step toward the door. She could have sworn there was a person standing by the window just a second ago. Now the figure was gone.

"Zoe," Haley whispered, tugging at her arm.  
Zoe followed Haley through the dark house. It was almost too quiet. They found one of the rooms in the back of the house decorated with a hundred lit tea candles. A round make-shift table had been erected in the middle of the room. Tanya was already sitting down. Zoe recognised the girl with cinnamon coloured hair as Kim, and the one with wild black curls was Lisa – Zoe remembered her from Chemistry class. Zoe sank down onto her knees beside Haley, and swallowed hard.

An Ouija board was on the table – a beautiful one carved out of Yew wood with bold letters and decorated with a million tiny moons and stars along the edge. The planchette was made of the same wood and was set aside on the table.

"Now. First things first." Tanya flicked her hair over her shoulder and sent a serious look around the table. "For those of you who haven't done this before. You have to have an open mind. If you don't believe the board is going to work, then it probably won't. Now, I want everyone to close their eyes, and relax every body part starting from the toes..."  
Zoe closed her eyes.  
"Is this really necessary? If we didn't believe it would work, we wouldn't be here trying it out." Haley interrupted. "Besides, time is of the essence. Kyle is going to start looking for us at half time."  
Zoe opened her eyes to look at Haley's impatient expression.

"Fine. Suit yourself." Tanya sniffed. "You need to be serious. Contacting the dead is no joke, so don't treat it as such. With that said, you don't need to be too serious. I've contacted lots of ghosts who had a good sense of humour."  
Zoe arched her eyebrows in surprise, but looked away when Tanya glanced at her. Ghosts with a sense of humour? The only ones Zoe had ever seen with a sense of humour, was Stinky, Stretch and Fatso.

"Right. Because they're so happy to be dead." Haley commented.  
"Ugh. Shut up." Tanya frowned at her. "Now, it's vital that you keep in mind that whatever the board spells out, won't necessarily come true, or be true."  
"Come true? You mean like... like a prediction or something?" Haley demanded.

"Sort of like a prediction. Ghosts can sometimes see the future." Tanya said.  
"Nah-ah." Haley shook her head. "Ghosts shouldn't be able to do that, Tanya. Are you _sure_ you know what you're getting us into?"  
"Oh, please, Haley, I've done this like a million times." Tanya said. "Now, whatever happens, it's _important_ that no one gets up and leaves the room before we say goodbye to the spirit. Else you're basically inviting it to follow you around, and then you'll have some problems. Is that understood?"

There was collective chorus of 'yes' around the table, except for Haley.  
"Gaa. I don't think I put on enough deodorant. I smell like my house." Haley wrinkled her nose. "Or is it just me?"  
"The candles are sage-scented." Kim said helpfully.  
"Now, I need you all to be quiet while I do the prayers." Tanya said.  
"What prayers?" Zoe asked, alarmed.  
"For protection. Just in case." Lisa said with a reassuring smile.

"Dear spirit. As we sit with you now, we open our hearts. We surround ourselves with the love and light of your protection. We release any negativity..." Tanya started, sitting up straight with her eyes closed.  
Haley giggled. Tanya stopped, and gave Haley a withering look.  
"We release any _negativity_," Tanya said again. " That we have picked up throughout the day so that we speak to the universe with the purity of our souls. We ask that any energy be given for our absolute good."

Zoe tensed when she caught movement at the window from the corner of her eye. She turned her head to look at it. Nothing but open air.  
"Dismiss now all energies that are not of the Highest and Greatest source. As we bathe in your grace, we will listen to your resounding voice within us. We will be true to our hearts, and your gentle guidance." Tanya finished.

Haley seemed to be the only one fighting not to laugh.  
"Okay. Now everyone puts one finger on the planchette. Whichever one you'll feel most comfortable with using." Tanya said, placing the small object onto the board and resting her index finger on it.  
Kim and Lisa put their fingers on it, and so did Haley. Zoe was the one who hesitated.  
"Come on, Zoe. You don't have to be afraid." Tanya said almost coaxingly.

Zoe pursed her lips. _Oh, what the hell._ She put her finger on the planchette.  
"Now what?" Haley asked.  
"We wait for someone to come by." Tanya shrugged, and cleared her throat. "Is there anyone in the room with us now?"  
Zoe felt her stomach turn into knots when the planchette slowly moved toward the _Yes_ circle.  
"Did you die here?" Kim asked.  
The planchette moved to the _No_ circle.  
"What is your name?" Haley asked. Her smile was gone.  
The planchette moved around the board, not landing on any specific letter or number.  
"It does that sometimes." Tanya whispered, then said louder. "It's okay. You don't need to tell us your name. Can you tell us how old you were when you died?"  
_No._  
"Are you a girl?"  
_No._

"Are you, like, hot?" Lisa asked with a giggle, winning a nudge from a smiling Tanya.  
_Yes._

Everyone broke into giggles. Haley, however, looked a bit pale.  
"You guys are so pathetic. How can you hit on a ghost?" Haley asked in disbelief.  
"Are you alone?" Tanya asked.  
_No._  
"Do you know who is with you?"  
_Yes._  
"At least he's not lonely." Lisa sighed.  
"How did you die?" Haley asked.  
The planchette moved around randomly again. Haley frowned.  
"Where did you die?" Kim asked instead.  
The movements became jerky.  
"Ask a different question. Sometimes they get too upset to talk about the details." Tanya said. "Um... I got it. You said you didn't die here. So why are you here in this house?"  
"Why doesn't it want to answer any of _my_ questions?" Haley complained.  
The planchette moved to pause on the _W._

"A," Kim read the next letter.  
"I." Tanya said.  
"T." Lisa said.  
"Waiting." Haley said.  
Zoe was glancing around the room, uneasy. She could see them. It was a given fact that she could see them – so where were they?  
"What... what are you waiting for?" Zoe asked.  
Y.O.U.A.R.E.T.H.E.P.O.R.T.  
"You are the... portal?" Kim blinked, confused. "What?"

"What is... what's that? What's happening?" Lisa cried out when the flames of the candles flared far higher than they should be able to. Shadows seemed to leap across the walls – not just normal shadows from the candles but shadows that looked shaped like... people.  
"Stop it! Say goodbye, say goodbye! No, don't let go of the board! Say goodbye!" Tanya was shouting.  
Zoe was vaguely aware that they were yanking the planchette to the goodbye circles. The shadows disappeared, but the candles seemed dimmer somehow.  
"What was that?" Kim yelped.  
"I don't know!" Tanya said.  
"That wasn't right! What happened?" Lisa nearly sobbed.  
"I don't know!" Tanya shouted, as fearful as the others.

"I thought you knew what you were doing." Haley's voice cut through the panic in the room.  
"I..." Tanya started.  
"You _said_ you knew what you were getting us into." Haley said coldly as she got to her feet.  
Zoe cringed away when Haley kicked the table over angrily. "Damn it, Tanya! You shouldn't screw around with things that you don't understand!"  
"But..."  
"Come on, Zoe. We're getting the hell out of here." Haley snapped.

Zoe followed Haley from the house quickly. She wrapped her arms around herself, glancing around alert as they walked down the darkened street.  
"Where are we going? Tanya's house is that way." Zoe said worriedly. She'd never seen Haley so furious before, and she hoped she never would again. An angry Haley was a scary Haley.

"Somewhere _safe_." Haley responded curtly, then gave her a sidelong glance. "I'm so sorry, Zoe. I thought it was just child's play, I really did. I had no idea this would happen."  
"What did happen?" Zoe asked after a moment. It was hard to keep up with the brisk pace Haley set for them.  
"I think I might know. But I need to make sure." Haley said quietly. She offered a small smile.

"Where... we're not going in _there_?" Zoe asked when Haley turned toward a large abandoned building.  
"We sure are. Trust me on this, Zoe. _I_ know what I'm doing." Haley said gently.  
They stepped through the large double doors. They swung closed on squealing hinges behind them, and the sound echoed eerily through the silent hallways. Zoe glimpsed an old, withered sign on a bulletin board reading Vista Grande Asylum.  
"Haley, I want to go home." Zoe said, jogging to keep up with her.  
"I'll take you home soon enough. But first, I want you to meet a friend of mine," Haley said, and lowered her voice. "He is a little bit odd, so try not to get freaked out."

Zoe swallowed nervously as she followed Haley down the dimly lit hallway, wondering how she was supposed to not freak out wandering the halls of a run-down asylum in the middle of the night.  
"Haley," Zoe whispered uneasily, eyes darting from shadow to shadow on the stained and cracking walls. "I don't think we should be here."  
"Don't worry, Zoe. It's not haunted, if that's what you're worried about." Haley whispered back over her shoulder. "Just trust me on this. If anyone will be able to decipher what the hell happened at the party tonight, it will be Davis."  
"Who exactly is Davis again?" Zoe asked in a small voice. There was something wrong about this place; the peeling walls and dust strewn floors seemed to radiate some frightening aura she couldn't distinguish.

"He's the Spirit Guru, you could say. He knows just about everything there is to know about the spiritual world." Haley said and stopped suddenly.  
Zoe froze in her tracks and cautiously peeked across her shoulder at the hallway ahead.  
"Did you hear that?" Haley asked, her voice barely a whisper, eyes wide as she looked up and down the hallway.  
Zoe bit her lip hard and listened intently. Her heart was pounding painfully in her ears and for a moment she was afraid her heart would simply stop functioning all together. Then a faint noise from somewhere up ahead made both girls' heads snap in the direction. Zoe straightened up, ready to bolt back to the main entrance, but found she was rooted to the spot when Haley darted forward instead.  
She wanted to call her back, but found she had no voice or breath to do so. She watched anxiously as Haley paused in one of the doorways and peeked inside. There was a deep exhale, and Haley motioned Zoe closer.


	13. Davis

Her feet felt sluggish as she walked toward Haley, dreading what was in that room. Zoe couldn't recall any other time she'd ever been this afraid.  
Haley had to literally tug her into the room, and when Zoe saw the occupant, she thought she might faint in relief.  
A boy was sitting on a thin and battered mattress on the floor, completely engrossed in a thick book on his lap. A desk lamp stood beside him, spreading sharp golden light across the pages and casting still shadows on the walls.  
_It's just some boy_, Zoe thought, and pursed her lips as the beginnings of a pressure headache throbbed through her temples. All those jitters for nothing.  
"Sleep paralysis?" Haley crouched down to glimpse the cover of the book. "Well now, that's a first. I didn't think you were interested in medical or scientific genres."

"I'm not." The boy answered, his voice oddly flat.  
"Then what's up with this? Having trouble sleeping?" Haley snatched the book away from him and shook it in disregard.  
"I'm interested in what logical explanation scientists have for the Old Hag legend." Davis blinked up at Haley, before turning cryptic grey eyes on Zoe. "It is said that the Old Hag comes at night when people are at their most vulnerable, when they are caught between the stages of sleep and wakefulness. The story goes that she will sit on her victims' chests, and try to drag their souls out to sell to the devil. It's the most frightening experience a human being can endure, because it is more real than the air we're breathing right now."

"Well that would make for an interesting bedtime story." Haley mumbled, distractedly scanning through the book.  
"It only lasts for a few seconds to a minute, but the psychological effects it has on the victim varies. Some can never sleep without a light source, and some even dread going to sleep in fear of having that experience again." Davis added. "Scientists refer to some instances as hypnagogia."  
"So has anyone ever seen the old hag?" Zoe asked.  
"None that's been reported. But of course, it wouldn't be reported at all. Since the person who would lay eyes on her would die instantly."  
"You like making up your own urban legends." Haley shook her head dismissively.

Davis turned his odd eyes onto Haley, and for a long moment they looked at one another in silence.  
"What do you want, Haley?"  
"We went to the Willis house earlier tonight." Haley licked her lips and closed the book.  
"So? I told you that place isn't haunted." Davis frowned and sent a sidelong glance at Zoe.  
"I beg to differ. We did the Ouija board thing, and then some really weird things happened..." Haley started.  
"Didn't I tell you Ouija boards aren't toys?" Davis asked in an impatient voice. "Look, regardless, that house is not haunted so you probably imagined whatever happened. "  
"But..." Haley began as Davis rose to his feet.

Zoe took a slight step back as he straightened to his full height. He was taller than the average guy, and skinnier; she could see the clear outline of his collarbone and the sharpness of his shoulders.  
"There aren't any ghosts there. Believe me, Haley. Somebody probably thought they saw or heard something and started freaking out." Davis snatched the book from Haley, giving her a glowering look. "It's contagious when people are put in certain situations; how do you think a stampede happens? One person freaks out and all the others follow like mindless sheep."  
"No, Davis, there were shadows. _Real_ shadows and they were just shooting across the walls like bullets. And it only happened after Zoe asked a question." Haley said irritably.  
"Oh? And what did you ask?" Davis asked, looking at Zoe thoughtfully.  
"Well, Tanya asked it why it was there in the house, and it said that it's waiting. And then I asked it what it's waiting for, and it said that I'm a portal." Zoe said, glancing from Haley to Davis nervously.  
"_You're_ a portal?" Davis repeated, cocking his head to the side uncertainly.

"Yeah. Do you know if that's some sort of afterlife lingo or something?" Haley asked.  
Zoe felt a little more secure with Haley standing right beside her. Something about Davis unnerved her; something in his eyes that was different from everybody else's.  
"Afterlife lingo." Davis smirked and shook his head lightly. He narrowed his gaze at Zoe thoughtfully. "Have you ever used an Ouija board before, Zoe?"  
"No." Zoe said.

"Hmm." Davis pursed his lips and turned around to sink back down onto the thin mattress. "Have you ever meddled with anything spiritual? Anything like a séance for example?"  
"No, I haven't. But," Zoe chewed her lip doubtfully. "My mom's a Medium, so she deals with these things a lot."  
"A Medium? Like the people on TV who can see ghosts?" Haley asked.  
"Yes." Zoe said uncomfortably.  
"That's wicked!" Haley exclaimed.

"Well, if you haven't personally been experimenting with any of those things, then it makes no sense to me why they would refer to _you_ as a portal. It could have been a warning, something to scare you off. Or it could have been that whatever ghost you contacted is looking to get in touch with your mom, if she is what you say she is... or it could be that it wants to possess you."  
"Oh, Davis, really!" Haley scowled.  
"But like I said, I don't think what you contacted tonight is a ghost of any kind. The Willis house isn't haunted, unless one of the spirits your mom has been in touch with in the past has attached itself to you and followed you there." Davis ignored Haley's outburst, holding Zoe's gaze evenly.  
Zoe shook her head slowly. "They don't follow me."

"How do you know? Can you see them too?" Haley asked curiously.  
"Then whatever contacted you tonight was not from the spiritual realm." Davis said quietly. Zoe could see the clockworks going in his head. Her mouth became dry and she waited tensely.  
"That's what you came here for, isn't it? Clarification." Davis looked at Haley expectantly.  
"Pretty much." Haley admitted. "I had my suspicions that there's something else going on, but I just needed a second opinion. For confirmation on my gut instinct."  
"What are you talking about?" Zoe asked, completely lost.  
"Have you ever heard of Shadow People?" Davis asked, and looked at Zoe with an intensity that frightened her.

His voice was clear and echoed off the walls. Zoe stared at him, momentarily stunned by the unexpected question.  
"I'm familiar with them." Zoe said truthfully.  
"Interesting." Davis narrowed his eyes at her thoughtfully.

"I think they just watch me. They only come out at night, no matter where I am." Zoe licked her lips, heart beat picking up in her chest. _Except for one..._  
There was a full minute of solid silence, and Zoe shifted uncomfortably under their eyes.  
"No matter where you are, hmm?" Davis repeated. "Are they here now?"  
Zoe frowned at him. She scanned the corners of the room briefly. There were shadows, but those were created from the light beside the boy. Normal shadows.  
"No." Zoe found it hard to say. All her life, she'd seen them. She'd seen them at Tanya's house, and she'd seen them in the Willis house. They were to her like the stars were to everyone else – she knew they were there without needing to actually look at them. She'd even seen one or two following her on their way here. But there were none in the room, and come to think of it she hadn't seen any since she'd entered the building...

"No, you're right. They're not here, because they can't come in." Davis folded his hands on his lap and tilted his head back to stare at her. "Shadows aren't my field of expertise. I'm not educated, if you may, in the area of shadows and all that dwells within it. Haley, however, knows more about them than is good for her, I believe. She's the one who carved the rune of restraint- or is it containment?- on the entrance and exits of this building."  
"A rune? What is that?" Zoe felt fear clog up her throat.  
"Magic." Haley answered simply.  
"Have the shadows ever tried to communicate with you?" Davis frowned.

They were looking at her expectantly. Zoe got a really bad feeling as she looked from one to the other.  
"Only once."  
"When? Where? What did they say? What did _you_ say?" Haley fired off, and Zoe made herself small against the wall.

"I...it's.. is that such a bad thing?" Zoe asked weakly. The look on Haley's face scared her.  
"Oh, you can bet it is." Haley said heatedly.  
"But... they've been around me since I was little. They never hurt me, or tried to talk to me before. Not until the other night."

This information seemed to stun Haley into shocked silence.  
"What did they say to you?" Davis asked.  
"I... just some gibberish. He said I called him, or something like that. He said I should call him _umbra_." Zoe stammered uneasily.  
Haley let out a soft, strangled noise that was meant to be a laugh, or a cry, Zoe wasn't sure.  
"Did he ask you anything?" Davis asked.  
"No. No, he said that... he said he had something that I wanted, and that he would give it to me in return for something else."  
"_Don't_, Zoe." Haley choked, eyes wide in horror. "You didn't agree to anything, did you?"  
"No... but I thought it was just a nightmare."  
"You saw him in a dream?"  
Zoe nodded slowly. Davis and Haley exchanged looks.  
"Sounds like one of Julian's." Davis said.  
Another silence.  
"Do you think we should go tell him? I know he doesn't like it when we barge in on their hunting trips but this is serious stuff." Davis said.

"I don't know. Zoe hasn't agreed to anything, so maybe we can still help her out. I mean, we could do it, Davis. We've got the resources."  
"Yeah, but we're only _human_. We can only do so much without ending up... you know."  
"What are you talking about?" Zoe asked, exasperated. "What has Julian got to do with this? What are you not telling me?"  
Haley bit her lip and looked away, but Davis turned to face Zoe squarely.

"Maybe you have something that they want, Zoe." Davis said flatly.  
"Oh, _Davis_. Don't scare her." Haley exploded.  
"But... like what? I don't have anything." Zoe took a startled step back.  
"I don't have all the answers." Davis shrugged helplessly. "I'm just going on theory. Why would they contact you if you didn't have something they wanted?"  
"And you're basing your theory on what? A guess?" Haley asked.  
"On the fact that one shadow man in particular stalked a girl for years, because he wanted something from her." Davis said, and an incredulous look crossed his face when Haley shook her head. "Hades and Persephone."  
"So you're basing your theory on mythological stories?"  
"I'm basing my theory on _Julian and Jenny_." Davis said in a scolding voice.

"Okay. Okay," Haley shrugged. "So... this Umbra dude has the hots for Zoe?"  
"It's a possibility. The point is, we don't know what his motivation is. We can guess, but we can also guess wrong. That's why I think we should get Julian involved."  
"No. I think if anyone should get involved, it should be Jess." Haley shook her head.  
"Jess? Haley, apart from the fact that Julian and Jenny are most likely to _kill_ you for it, Jess _won't want_ to get involved."  
"If you think we should tell Julian, go right ahead Davis." Haley glared at him.  
"You're family. You should tell him." Davis backtracked.  
"That doesn't make him any less scary. Can you imagine what he would do if I told him we made contact with Shadow People?"  
"No." Davis sighed.  
"Exactly, neither do I. And I don't want to find out either, so," Haley folded her arms across her chest. "We deal with this by ourselves."

"Right." Davis agreed.  
"Could someone _please_ tell me what's going on?" Zoe asked, putting her hands to her head.  
There was an awkward moment when Davis and Haley looked at each other. "Uh..." Haley finally wrung her hands together, and glanced at Zoe uncertainly.  
"This is going to sound crazy."  
"I expect it to. Nothing else has been short of insane since I've set foot out of the house." Zoe said.

"Well... the Shadow People are from the Shadow World. Aunt Audrey always referred to it as Niflheim..." Haley said.  
"Which is stupid because Niflheim is supposed to be one of the nine worlds in Norse mythology, and therefore nothing more than just a myth." Davis added.  
"Davis," Haley said, exasperated. "Genies are just creatures of myth too, but Julian is real."  
"Julian is a genie?" Zoe asked. She remembered him clearly – the frost white hair, the indescribable blue eyes that had looked right into her mind – nothing human could look like that. He could pass as a mythological being...  
"Julian is from another race. From the Shadow World. It's a world of mist and ice that exists alongside our world. They're a very... _old_ race." Haley waved her hands helplessly. "And they're evil, which is why they're forbidden to enter into any of the other worlds. They lure people into the shadows, to trick them, to enslave their souls and to do God knows what with their bodies..."

"Julian isn't evil." Davis said.  
"...they used to be summoned by sorcerers who wanted more knowledge, or more power. In return for something else, which was almost always the soul of the one who called them up." Haley finished. "But you didn't call them up, did you, Zoe?"  
"No." Zoe tried to swallow the lump that had settled in her throat.  
"So..." Haley trailed off, staring at Zoe thoughtfully. "Maybe someone in your family messed around with them, and that's why they're attached to you."  
"It's plausible." Davis nodded.  
"I don't think..." Zoe began.  
"Next time you see this Umbra, you should ask him what he wants from you. That's it. Nothing else. Don't answer any of his questions. Don't get into a discussion with him. Just ask him straight out what he wants." Haley cut her off. "It's too risky to say or do anything else, because they are very sly tricksters. He can take any of your words and twist it into something it's not."

_Ring-ding-ding-ding-ding!_  
"What was that?" Zoe jumped.  
"That," Haley sighed and pulled out her mobile. "Is probably Kyle looking for us."  
The ringing cut off when Haley answered. "What do you want, brother?"  
Haley went quiet, the annoyed look on her face changing from surprise to anger. "I'm fine. No, really, I'm _fine_, I'm hanging out with Davis. Yeah, I know you don't like Davis. You don't like Jess or Bruce either. My_ point_ is you don't like _anyone_. The party got boring so I left with a friend. No, with Zoe. Like I said, I'm _fine_. Are you joking, it's not even nine yet!"  
Haley went very quiet, her eyes flashing furiously as she listened. Zoe shifted uneasily, and glanced at Davis. He was watching her closely.  
"Ugh. Do you guys mind? I'll be back in a second," Haley said to them, and stepped out of the room. "Yes, I know you said I could go only because Kyle was going, but..."  
Her voice became muffled as she walked down the hallway.  
"So, how's Vista Grande been to you?" Davis asked.  
"Oh... different. Crazy." Zoe said.

"People here know when they are confronted by something that could be classed as... supernatural." Davis said. "Some of us have the intellect to stay away from it, like Kyle. Some of us know enough to keep ourselves safe while still exploring it – like myself and Haley. And some of us just don't have a choice but to be associated with it. Like Julian and Jess."  
Zoe looked at him uncertainly.  
"And you." Davis said.  
"That's not a very nice thing to say." Zoe said quietly.  
"You're different." Davis studied her with cool eyes.  
"Story of my life." Zoe snapped, and glared at the door. Where was Haley? She'd had enough of this – she wanted to get out of here. _Now_.  
"You don't feel at ease. Like you shouldn't be here." Davis said, as if reading her thoughts.

"Nobody should be in an abandoned asylum at night." Zoe responded curtly.  
"It's perfectly safe here. We're not causing any destruction or doing anyone harm." Davis leaned his back against the wall. "But you feel like you've treaded onto uninvited territory, don't you?"  
"So what if I do?"  
"You know," Davis leaned forward suddenly, and flashed her a smile that lit up his face and did something inexplicable to her heart. She didn't know whether to run away or hit him. "Jess doesn't come here either. It makes him feel very uncomfortable. And Julian... well, Julian can't even get in if he tried."  
"Why are you telling me this?" Zoe frowned.  
"Because you are just like Jess. You bewitch people without realizing it. Don't tell me you don't have guys competing for your attention, or you haven't had any threats from girls."

Zoe stared back at him for a long moment. "I don't seem to bewitch you." She meant to be sarcastic.  
"No. I've got protection against magical influence. So does Haley. It's the reason why she's practically the only logical-thinking female in town when Jess is around. Her feelings for Jess is genuine, you know." Davis said. His smile was beginning to scare her.  
"I'm nothing like him." Zoe said.  
"Maybe you're more like him than you realize."

"I thought this Julian is from another race. You know, both my parents are normal, and my grandparents are equally human. I'm _not_ like Jess at all."  
"Okay," Haley reappeared in the doorway. "My dad is picking us up, Zoe. He'll drop you off at your house. I'm really sorry – Kyle called him and told him I've run off, and now he won't listen to reason."  
"Did he threaten to tell your mom?" Davis asked.  
"Of course, why else do you think I'm going home?" Haley sighed heavily. "Unless you want to go back to the party by yourself, Zoe."  
"No, I think I've had enough for one night." Zoe said.


	14. The calm before the storm

**Ooo88ooO**

Zoe stood on the dim sidewalk, staring at nothing in particular. She was rubbing her arms against the slight chill of the night. Her mind was still back at the asylum where Davis was, the boy with the cool grey eyes that seemed to see her for what she was. He _knew_ she wasn't normal. It wasn't a question, or speculation. It was recognition; she _was_ different. She could define the look that had been in Mrs Thornton's eyes now. She knew, too. That's what unsettled her, Zoe thought.

She was accustomed to people treating her like a goddess; she was used to them staring at her, because part of them knew she wasn't entirely normal, but there was always admiration in their eyes. No one had ever looked at her the way Mrs Thornton and Davis had. They knew she was different, and that it wasn't the 'good' kind of different.

Zoe shivered, and hugged her arms to her chest. She had wanted to get as far away from Davis as quickly as possible. Now she found part of her inexplicably longing to go back there.  
The shadows had been waiting for her outside. She could sense them trailing after her, feel them watching her. She wished she could go back into that creepy building, free of the shadows, and sit in that small dodgy room with Davis. They wouldn't need to talk. She could just sit there. He wouldn't be afraid of her, and she wouldn't have to pretend anymore. A ridiculous idea, of course, but one she would have given anything for.

"So what did you think about Davis?"  
Zoe blinked, and the warm golden-dreamy vision snapped off. "He's weird. But okay, I guess."  
"He's good company." Haley said. "And a really good friend. So what did you guys talk about while I was gone?"  
"Oh. This and that." Zoe said and shrugged. "Nothing, really."  
"Sounds boring."  
"Yeah..."  
"Come on, Zoe. Davis is _never_ boring." Haley chided.

"I don't want to talk about it." Zoe said curtly, and jumped when a shadow moved under one of the streetlights. "Did you see that?"  
"See what?"  
"There was something over there just a second ago."  
"Probably just a cat."  
"No." Zoe said, and felt cold chills tickle down her back. "Something has been following us. I thought I saw something at the Willis house, too. And it's _not_ a cat."  
"Do you think it might be the Umbra guy?" Haley asked, stepping closer to her.  
"I don't know. It might be." Zoe said uncertainly.  
"Well." Haley said, and folded her arms across her chest. She narrowed her eyes at the darkness. "Then he's a little stalker, isn't he? Not a very good one, since we know _you're there_."

"Haley, what are you doing?" Zoe asked, her eyes going wide in disbelief.  
Haley frowned and turned to look at Zoe. "Well, he has no _right_. It's perverted. He shouldn't be following you."  
They looked around quietly for a few minutes. There was no sound, and nothing moved.

"If he shows up again, you should call me and go straight to Davis. He's always at the asylum."  
"Why?" Zoe asked.  
"Because of the rune of restraint, duh." Haley sighed.  
"No. I mean, why is Davis always there?"  
"Oh." Haley's cheeks flushed. "He's not on good terms with his parents, or something. I don't know the details, though."  
"That's too bad." Zoe said quietly.  
"If you're anyone else. Davis doesn't seem to mind much. He's a bit weird in some of his ways." Haley licked her lips and leaned against the wall surrounding Vista Park. "I love him to bits." She said, then glanced at Zoe. "Just don't tell anyone I said that. Jess will not be impressed."

"No, Jess will not be impressed."  
Haley started, and Zoe caught a shriek behind her hands. She stared, wide eyed, as a shadow detached itself from the wall very close by them.  
A second later the dim orange light illuminated a golden head, and cool eyes that seemed to literally glow like blue coals at them. He was wearing dark jeans, an unbuttoned blood red flannel shirt with the collar up, and a black T-shirt underneath. His hands were in tight pockets, and he walked with the same eloquent grace that she'd seen Julian move with.  
In fact, Zoe found it quite disconcerting just _how much_ he resembled Julian in that moment. Unearthly. Surreal. Had she not met him prior to tonight, she would never have believed he was human. _But that's just it ,isn't it? He's _not_, _Zoe thought and tried to swallow down the wild panic boiling up inside of her.  
In that moment, he was radiating menace. His gaze was narrowed at both of them. His anger rolled off him in heat waves. She would have turned to run, if her legs hadn't suddenly turned to stone beneath her. _Hell_, she thought she'd been so scared all day that nothing could really make her even more fearful than she already was. She was wrong.

Haley laughed. Zoe herself could scarcely breathe. She tore her gaze from him to stare at Haley wildly. _Are you nuts? He looks like he's going to _kill _us!_  
"Oh, my guardian angel." Haley said with a tenderness in her voice that overshadowed the panic threatening to rise inside of Zoe. _Her feelings for Jess is genuine, you know_, Davis's voice echoed through her mind, and Zoe glanced at Jess. Haley's affectionate response didn't seem to have any effect on him whatsoever.

"You lied to me." Jess said coldly.  
"About what?" Haley asked, still smiling.  
"You swore you'd never set foot in the Willis house."  
"I didn't lie to you." Haley said. "I fully meant it when I promised. But that was over a year ago."  
"Promises don't have expiry dates." Jess bit each word off angrily.  
"Are you sure I promised to _never_ go there? I'm foggy on the details." Haley said, her smile fading.  
"Don't play with me." It was a warning. Zoe took a step back, glancing from one to the other.  
"I could say the same to you." Haley straightened up, and her voice was nearly as cold and hard as his. "You think I'm just like everybody else. Really, Jess? Do you really _think_ that I can't resist you?"  
Jess didn't respond. His eyes flicked to Zoe.

"Well, seeing as you believe that, maybe I should prove you otherwise." Haley said angrily.  
"You're only human. That's what I meant." Jess looked at her.  
"Bollocks." Haley snapped. "Your ego is in need of some good bashing, Thornton."  
"Maybe." Jess said, surprisingly, and glared at them. "Who is this Umbra guy you think is following you?"  
"Oh." Haley said, and fell silent. She looked at Zoe. Zoe looked back at her quietly. "Don't worry about it."  
"Mmm. Familiar words, Haley. You always say that when you're in trouble."  
"I haven't done anything wrong." Haley said defensively. "What _are_ you doing here anyway?"

"Your mom sent me to check up on you. She got a call from your brother that you've run off."  
"Wonderful. Does that mean she's coming home?" Haley blew out her breath.  
"No. She and my dad needs a bit more time out there."  
"What are you guys doing out there, really?" Haley asked suddenly.  
"Hunting. What we always do." Jess said, and gave Zoe a sidelong glance.  
"You know, one day, I _am_ going to find out the truth." Haley said.  
Zoe shifted uncomfortably under his piercing gaze. He didn't look away from her, but he replied to Haley.  
"Do you _really_ think you want to know the truth?" Jess asked, and added in a quiet tone, "Do you think you can handle it?" Zoe felt that he meant the last for her.  
"Hey, if I can handle you, I can handle anything." Haley said. "That's my dad's car."

And just like that, he was gone. One moment Zoe was staring back into those blue eyes – eyes that she recalled being pretty in daylight but had harboured something dark and writhing in them tonight – and then nothing. Like somebody had flipped a switch and he disappeared instantaneously. It happened so fast that Zoe nearly fell off balance.  
"Wh... how did he... where did he go?" Zoe gasped.  
"Back to camp, I suspect." Haley said, and grabbed her arm to steady Zoe. "I... it's weird, I know, I don't know how he does it either. Come on, here's my dad. And _don't_ mention Jess."

A silver Chrysler pulled up to a halt next to them. The windows were dark. Zoe felt wary climbing into the car. She'd never accepted rides from strangers before – not even from her friends' parents unless her own had given consent.  
Mr Locke was a handsome man. Neat and polished, with a rakish grin and a charming personality. The kind of dad you could walk around town bragging about; the kind when if you told someone else that your dad could beat up their dad, they wouldn't argue. Haley had the same hazel eyes he had.  
"Dad, this is Zoe." Haley said as she put on her seatbelt.  
"Hi." Zoe murmured.

Mr Locke turned off the radio. Silence roared in the car. He turned around in his seat, and flicked on the little light on the ceiling. A sharp yellow glow illuminated the car as if a spotlight had been fixed on them. His eyes were narrowed, and he was staring at Zoe. Total disbelief. Utter confusion.  
"Uh. Dad?" Haley said, embarrassed.  
Mr Locke studied Zoe for a moment longer. "I think Zoe should call her parents and tell them she's sleeping over tonight."  
"Pardon?" Haley burst out.  
Mr Locke looked at Haley, and his look silenced her. "And when we get home, I'll call your mother."

Zoe sat, paralyzed in confusion and fear. Nothing was making sense anymore. It was getting too much... far too much.  
The Locke residence was a double-storey Moroccan style house with neatly mown lawn and coconut trees. Zoe felt out of place and wrong when she followed Haley inside. The furniture was white leather and mahogany wood, the walls painted neutral colours and the tilling of the floor in cool shades. Everything screamed out luxury and wealth.

Zoe didn't speak until Mr Locke explained to her that their Chihuahua had made off with the telephone receiver and that she would need to call her parents on loudspeaker.  
"I want to go home." The words sounded hollow even to her ears. She didn't want to go back to that house, but she wanted her parents. She wanted their reassurance, their security. Their familiarity.

"Okay. Just let me make a call, and then I'll take you." Mr Locke stalled. Why he was stalling, Zoe didn't know and she didn't think she wanted to either.  
She sat down on one of the couches next to Haley, glancing around the beautifully decorated room.

A grandfather clock stood against one wall, a large sprawling bookcase filled to the brim with books, a display case hosting a million framed photographs and a couple of potted houseplants, a wine rack with each slot containing a bottle. There was a sheepskin rug on the floor in front of her. Zoe held back her tears. She wanted to go home.

Mr Locke dialled the digits as if his fingers knew the path by habit. A loud ringing filled the house. He sat down on the couch opposite them, wringing his hands together. He looked across at her.  
"Do you want some hot coco, maybe? Something warm to drink. Haley, could you go make us some tea?"  
More stalling. _I have to get out of here_, Zoe thought.  
"Do you want anything?" Haley asked her pointedly.  
"No, I'm fine."  
"We're good." Haley said.  
"Haley." Mr Locke said warningly.  
Haley didn't budge. Zoe was secretly glad. She didn't want to be left alone in this room with Mr Locke.

The ringing cut off abruptly. "Tom?" A female voice filled the room.  
"Yeah, it's me." Mr Locke said.  
"Is Haley home?"  
"Haley's fine. But you need to come home."  
"Oh, thank God." A pause. "I can't come home yet, Tom, I'm sorry."  
"You really should, Faye. Tonight."  
"Look, Tom." A deep sigh. "I know what's going on. Jenny called me earlier and wouldn't shut up about it. According to Jess, the girl's not exactly your average teen queen either. And Julian seems convinced it's her. But, really, as eager as I am to come home and see for myself, it will _have_ to wait."  
Mr Locke was clenching and unclenching his fists nervously.  
"I thought it would be safest to keep her here for the night."  
"Seriously?" There was a shuffling sound, and then the voice sounded a little faint. "Did you brainwash my husband? You swear?" There was a quiet laugh in the background – a pleasant, beautiful sound.  
"Faye." Mr Locke sounded annoyed.

"Sorry, Tom. It's just... I think pigs must have spread wings today."  
"What?" Mr Locke asked, stumped.  
"You did _exactly_ what Julian _wanted_ to do, and exactly what I told him _not_ to do. Do I really have to _think_ for the both of you?" Faye said angrily. "You can't keep her there against her will, Tom."  
"But this is where she'll be safe..."  
"Zoe, sweetie, are you there?" The voice cut him off.  
"Yes." Zoe said in a small voice when Haley nudged her encouragingly.  
"Tom is going to take you home, okay? And if he doesn't, Haley will let me know, and I'll come down there and take you home myself."  
"Okay."  
"And Haley, you and I are going to have a little talk when I get back."  
Haley stiffened next to Zoe. Her eyes went round in surprise.

"Faye, you really should be getting home now. What if things start happening and I can't reach you..." Mr Locke started worriedly.  
"Oh, _Tom_. It's a given things will be happening. Nothing short of crazy happens when Julian is involved, you ought to know that by now. Besides, even if I wanted to, I _can't_ come home yet. Julian and I aren't finished. Look, I'll see you next weekend. Love to the kiddies from mommy." There was a final click, and then the dial tone sliced through the room.  
"Fine." Mr Locke said, annoyed, cutting off the sound with a button. He looked at Zoe awkwardly. "Let's get you home, Zoe."

There was no conversation in the car and the drive to Zoe's house felt like it stretched on forever.  
"Remember what I said." Haley whispered to her when they pulled up her driveway.  
Zoe couldn't recall any other time she'd ever been so glad to see her mother's ugly purple car parked outside the house.  
"I'll see you at school." Was all Zoe said before nearly leaping out of the car.  
She restrained herself from running into the house. Once inside, she locked the door securely. "Mom?"  
"What's wrong?" Mrs Rudolfse appeared around the corner, her eyes slightly bloodshot and her skin pale.  
Zoe responded by flinging herself into her mother's arms. Something was terribly wrong. Even though her mother was hugging her back, there was a subtle awkwardness. A weariness that there had never been before. Zoe pulled back. "Nothing. What's wrong, mom?"

"Nothing. I... just had a hard day at work today. How was the party?" She was lying. Her mother had never been a good liar. She looked strained – as if at any given moment she would just shatter into a million little fragments. It was as though she was waiting for Zoe to deliver the blow.  
"Stupid. I'm not going to any more parties for a while." Zoe said, taking a step away.  
"Your father will be happy to hear that." Her voice cracked.  
"Is Dad okay?" Zoe asked, cold dread making her limbs go numb.  
"He's fine. He's just... running some errands...er, doing some business in town. Are you hungry?"  
"What business, Mom? It's nearly nine." Zoe said and followed her mother into the kitchen.

"We'll tell you. All in good time, we will tell you." Mrs Rudolfse said. She seemed to be talking to herself rather than to Zoe. She seemed very far away. Detached. "Want some lasagne, Zoe?"  
"No. I'm not hungry." Zoe said. She watched her mother dish up a plate and pop it into the microwave to heat it.  
"I always knew this would happen. Your father always told me, Linda that girl is going to wake up one day and she's going to know. I just... hoped, I guess. That the day would never come." Her mother wasn't making any sense. Zoe wanted to run when her mother spun to face her. "Zoe. You're not like us. You never were."

The world jerked to a halt around her. There was suddenly no breath in her lungs, and her heart seemed to be fighting to make a beat. _You're not like us._  
"_Mom_..." Zoe said quietly.  
"Please. Call me Linda. It's better that way."  
Zoe turned and ran. She didn't know where she was going. Her mind was filled with nothing but the cold echo of her mother's words. _You're not like us_.  
She was crying without really knowing, her vision blurred with tears and shadows. Her feet pounded across the tarred highway. Some part of her knew the danger she was putting herself in – the highway wasn't meant for pedestrians. There was no sideline for her to keep safe to. If a car came around a corner, she would get hit. Zoe didn't care.

_You're not like us._  
She couldn't go into town, because there would be nowhere she could hide where she wouldn't be found. She couldn't go into the woods – she didn't want to risk running into Jess again, or worse, stumble onto their hidden campsite. Zoe wanted to get away from it all. Away from everyone, and everything. She wanted to disappear.  
Funny, how she'd always felt that somebody was looking for her and how she'd wanted them to find her. But those times were far behind her now. Zoe didn't want to be found.

She found herself on a bridge without any recollection of how she'd gotten there. It was dark, the streetlights not giving adequate enough light to show her surroundings, but Zoe _could_ see the long drop down into a gorge over the side. She glanced around, and wiped at her wet cheeks angrily. No one in sight. She looked back down. She could just jump. End it all here, tonight. She could feel things were escalating, that everything was just going to get worse. Zoe knew she didn't have the strength to face up to it.  
No one will find her. No one will ever find her, or ever know. The river far below would drag her downstream, away from Vista Grande. By the time her body is found, it would have been at least a couple of weeks. Zoe pinched her eyes closed. Just do it.

"_You don't belong in that house with those people who call themselves your parents." _She would have thought it was just the sound of the wind, rustling through the leaves. But there was no wind, and she recognized the voice. She could see his eyes in her mind – endless and deep obsidian eyes that seemed to freeze your body and burn into your soul.  
"What do you want?" Zoe whispered, and turned to glare at the shadows. They were there, of course. Melting, rising, throbbing, silent. "What do you want?" She shouted suddenly. She didn't know whether it was anger or fear that was driving her toward them.

She stopped short of them. She was upset enough to lash out at them, close enough to touch them. Zoe didn't budge an inch further from the spot of light flooding around her. Part of her was afraid of the implication it would have if she crossed the line where light met darkness. She would be stepping right into their midst. She could feel them watching her. Glaring at her. Daring her.  
"What do you want?" She hissed.  
Zoe thought for a second she could hear her own words hissed back at her. She turned around. She had to get away from here. Somewhere there was light, somewhere they couldn't follow her.

Zoe found her way back to town. Slowly. Dawn was breaking by the time she passed her house. There were police cars in the yard, red and blue lights flashing in the wee hours of the morning.

The asylum didn't look as creepy as it had last night. Zoe wandered through the hallways, peeking into rooms. No one was watching her. No one was following her. She could be at peace here. At least for a little while. Davis was nowhere to be found, and Zoe eventually sank down on the battered old mattress in the small room. She leaned her head back against the wall, and closed her eyes.  
_You're not like us_. Zoe was alone with her pain and tears.


	15. I promise

_While I'm alone and blue as can be, dream a little dream of me,  
Stars fading but I linger on dear...  
I'm longing to linger till dawn here...  
Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you,  
Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you  
But in your dreams whatever they be,  
Dream a little dream of me..._

Zoe stirred. The sweet, familiar notes of the 1960's song played through her mind, and the words cast a warm feeling of well-being over her. Someone was playing this song for her. Someone was thinking about her when listening to these lyrics.  
Zoe didn't know how she could possibly know this, but she_ felt _it deep down. She wanted to be with that person right now. Whoever it might be. All she knew was that she would find comfort and peace there; wrapped in a halo of affectionate security.

A scraping sound jolted her awake. Zoe's eyes snapped open, and she sat up quickly. She blinked at the light of late noon filtering into the room through the window. She widened her eyes tiredly, and stared dumb struck at the boy sitting with his long legs folded beneath him.  
"You sleep like the dead." He said.  
Zoe frowned, disoriented, scanning the room. She looked at the packet of McDonalds that he pushed closer to her. She met his blue gaze stupidly.  
"If you're not hungry, I'll have your share." He said almost threateningly.  
"I thought you didn't like to come here." Zoe said, and her voice sounded pathetically weak.

"It's a bit uncomfortable." Jess admitted. "But everyone needs a place of refuge. This happens to be mine, from time to time."  
"Is Haley here?" Zoe asked.  
"Haley's at school. And Davis is at the police station, if you were wondering where he's gone to. They've got him in for questioning."  
"Questioning for what?" Zoe breathed, shocked.  
"About your whereabouts. He's one of the few people who saw you last." Jess said, and casually leaned his elbow on his knee. "People are looking for you."

Zoe looked away and pursed her lips tightly.  
"Your dad was at my house last night." Jess said.  
Zoe glanced at him sharply. "What?"  
"I wasn't allowed to be present, but I caught scraps of things they said. Did you know your parents are afraid of you?"  
"_What?_" Zoe repeated dumbly.  
"My dad and Faye have been at each other since last night. They've been fighting non-stop. Over you." Jess said, and tilted his head to the side to stare at her. "Curious, don't you think? My dad wants to talk to you, but Faye's forbidden him to. She says it's better that things play out for a bit and see how you react to it, rather than trying to protect you from it. She's convinced it's the only way you'll actually believe and understand what's going on."

"And _what_ is going on?" Zoe asked.  
"I don't know." Jess said quietly, and for a moment she could see her own terror of the unknown reflected in his eyes.  
"What was my dad doing at your house?" Zoe asked after a solemn silence befell them.  
"Not sure on that either. I think he was arranging for your parents and mine to meet up for coffee, something of that sort."

A loud beeping noise filled the room suddenly. Jess took out his phone and glanced at it. He cut the beeping off, and placed the phone on the floor between them. He seemed to struggle for words.  
"My mom was in hysterics all night. When she got a call from your dad, asking if you were at our house, she just went nuts. I couldn't get her to calm down, so I went and told my dad that you've been reported as missing and mom's gone crazy." Jess fell silent, and swallowed hard. "And Dad came home. Early. He _never_ comes home from a hunt before the two week stretch is over."

"I don't get it." Zoe said softly. "Why would they freak out over me? They don't even know me."  
"That's what I've been wondering, too." Jess said, and ran a hand through his blonde hair. In the sunlight, his hair looked almost white. "I've never seen Dad so angry before. The worst is that I don't know who he's angry at. I thought he might be mad at Faye, but she's just as pissed off as he is. At any rate, she's the only one who can talk to him without shitting herself. Not even my mom feels safe with him at this stage...for good reason. We go hunting for a reason."

Fear chased the cobwebs from Zoe's exhausted mind.  
"Anyway, my parents seem to be far more upset about your disappearance than yours does." Jess added. He sighed heavily. "Not that they're not worried. Just... my parents are more frantic to find you as soon as possible."  
"I think my mom disowned me." Zoe said suddenly, quietly. She didn't meet his surprised gaze. "She told me to call her Linda. She said..." Zoe swallowed hard, and felt awful as the tears stubbornly came again. "She said that I'm not like them."

She fought to gain control of herself. Jess said nothing, but when Zoe looked at him again, there was compassion in his expression.  
"You should eat something." Jess finally invaded the silence.  
Zoe didn't. Her appetite was curbed. The phone started its persistent beeping again.  
"Is that your mom?" Zoe asked.  
"It's Faye." Jess said, glancing at it wearily. "My parents are too caught up in your disappearance to notice that I'm gone, too."

"I'm sorry." Zoe said, and sobbed into her hands.  
"Hey, don't cry. Look, it's okay. You're not really missing, and I'm here so you're not alone. I'll keep you safe, I promise."  
Strangely, Zoe found comfort in his words. She believed him.  
"We'll go out of town. Do something fun, somewhere nobody knows us. I think we both need a break from all this insanity."

**Ooo888ooO**

**A/N: I'm really trying to refrain from posting notes to my readers because I feel like I'm putting hiccups in the flow of the story. But I do feel like I need to say this. If you're reading, please **_**please**_** leave a review. I don't like authors who blackmail their readers by saying if they don't get X amount of reviews, there won't be any more updates, and I really don't want to be classed as one of them. I love writing, and I love writing this story. But I'm posting it up to share with you guys, and I'm not feeling the love! I know a couple of you have this fic on your story alerts – please review so I know you're reading. If you're not reading, it's not worth continuing.  
**

**Rule of thumb from hereon: if I can get at least one review for every last chapter that I upload, that will be enough for me to keep it up. You don't **_**have**_** to review every chapter because I sometimes post up more than one chapter at once. Just review the last one uploaded.**


	16. What happens in Vegas

The weekend came and slid through Zoe's fingers, dissolving into good memories tainted with guilt and worry. Her parents were going to kill her for running off. Jess reassured her that his own were going to skin him alive. It wasn't a comforting predicament for either of them, but Jess jokingly reminded her that he _did_ promise he would keep her safe. Besides, it's not like she did it to be malicious, Zoe defended herself. She needed to get away from it all, and she'd been right. It felt like she could breathe again when they returned to Vista Grande.

Monday morning found Jess and Zoe walking across the school parking lot of Vista Grande High. People literally stopped to stare as they went by. Jess flashed a heartening grin when she looked at him. That look said: it is okay that people are staring. Let them.

They walked down the busy halls and finally stopped at Zoe's locker.  
"Zoe!" Tanya seemed to appear out of thin air, blocking their path when they turned to head down another corridor.  
"What?" Zoe asked, startled. Tanya's bright eyes darted from Zoe to Jess, and back.  
"Everyone's been looking for you. Where have you two _been_?"  
"That's no one's business but our own." Jess retorted.  
"Oh. So..." Tanya faltered, and anger flashed across her features. She stepped back, and glared at Zoe. _Glare_ wasn't really the word. If looks could kill, this one would have mutilated Zoe. "You guys are... a thing now, is that it?"

Zoe glanced at Jess, her cheeks flushing red in embarrassment. _It was nothing like that..._  
"So what if we are? Have you got a problem with that?" Jess said coldly.  
Tanya tensed, and stared.  
"_Jess_." Zoe gasped, stunned and confused.  
"I'm telling Haley." Tanya yelped, and took off down the hallway like a streak of lightning.  
Zoe watched her go, and turned back to Jess in dismay.  
"Jess." She said again.  
"There's no point in telling them the truth, Zoe. They won't believe us. It _does_ look suspicious that both of us just disappeared together for the weekend. People are going to believe their own conclusions, no matter what we say or do." Jess said innocently.  
"Still, it might help not to encourage their version of things." Zoe narrowed her eyes at him.

"What class have you got?" Jess asked, sliding his hands into his pockets with a shrug.  
"Computer applications is first period." Zoe said as they walked down the hall together. People really _were_ staring; their heads turned to actually watch them pass by. "I still think we should have gone home first, Jess. Let our parents know we're safe."  
"You're really that eager to face them after what's happened? Zoe, they're _hiding_ something from us. I thought we reached that conclusion over the weekend." Jess said, slightly irritated.  
"I know I just... I feel guilty for making them worry."  
"It serves them right. They couldn't just expect us to shut up and take whatever they throw at us like it's nothing. They need to know how much this affects us. They need to _feel_ it, Zoe." Jess chided.  
"Maybe you're right." Zoe said.

They were about to step into the class room when they bumped into Kyle. He paused to really look at them; first measuring Jess up with a cool gaze, and then shifting awkwardly when he turned his attention to Zoe.  
"Glad to see you guys didn't just fade into oblivion." Kyle commented.  
"We should have." Jess said flatly.  
"We just needed to get away for a bit." Zoe admitted, looking wearily from Kyle to Jess. The last time she'd seen Kyle, he'd been ready to take a swing at his best friend because of her.  
"You could have let us know." Kyle accused, his eyes going hard. "At least, me and Haley."  
"I didn't want to get you guys into trouble." Jess said. "The less you know, the better."  
"Right." Kyle said sceptically. "Your parents have been turning over every stone in town to find you."  
"So?"  
"Your Dad's especially pissed off, Jess. I wouldn't want to be you right now. Your mom is a mess, you know." Kyle looked at Zoe. "Sorry about what happened at the party, Zoe. I wasn't myself."

"No, you weren't." Zoe agreed.  
"It won't happen again." Kyle said, half-embarrassed. "Anyway. You should let Haley know you're back. I'll see you around."  
Jess and Zoe watched Kyle melt into the stream of students, and exchanged looks.  
"It doesn't sound good." Zoe said as they took seats in the class.  
"No, you're right." Jess said.

By third period, Jess was becoming fidgety. When Zoe asked him about it, he shrugged.  
"I'm just wondering where Haley is. I've been waiting for her to pitch up and give me an ear full. She's usually the first one to welcome me back at school."  
"Maybe she just hasn't had time to come see you."  
"No, that's not it. This is _Haley_ we're talking about."  
"Do you think she believes what Tanya said? About you and me? It's all over school already."  
"If she did, I'd have a knife in my chest already. No, that's not it either."  
Zoe watched his composure loosen and his confidence diminish as the day wore on. By lunch time, Jess was ready to turn the town upside down for Haley.

"Let's go check in the cafeteria first. Maybe she's still at school and hasn't gone home yet." Zoe suggested.  
"She won't be there. I _know_ Haley. If she was here, she'd be next to me right now. I'm pretty sure she's at home and the reason why she hasn't come talk to me is because her parents won't let her leave the house." Jess said.  
"Or maybe she's just too upset to talk to you. Let's just check, okay? If we go home now, and she's not there, you won't get to see her anyway because your parents won't let _you_ leave the house."  
"But I know she's not here."

They stepped into the busy cafeteria together. Jess, it turned out, didn't know Haley as well as he'd initially thought.  
Haley _was_ there. Sitting at a small table, alone, and staring out the window at the parking lot. She looked tired. Zoe and Jess went over to her and sat down. Haley didn't look at them right away.

"Have fun?" She asked gallantly.  
"What's going on?" Jess responded.  
"You tell me."  
"You know Tanya's just full of shit."  
"Hmm." Haley pursed her lips.  
"Come on, Hales. You know it's not true." Jess said, glancing at Zoe for help.

"We bumped into each other at the asylum. We went to Las Vegas, just to try forget about everything. Nothing happened between us Haley, I swear." Zoe said, knowing even as she spoke that it sounded very suspicious.  
"Of course not." Haley said flatly.  
"You believe us then?" Jess asked.  
"I don't care where you went or what you did."  
"Haley, I _love_ you. You know I'd never betray you." Jess said gently.  
Haley looked at them, finally. Her expression was grim.  
"Your mom has been bawling her eyes out all weekend, Jess. She thinks she's lost you forever. I'd swear you were dead rather than missing, the way she's been going on. And your parents aren't any better off either, Zoe."

"Well, we're back now." Jess frowned at her.  
"Yeah." Haley said and looked away uneasily.  
"You're not happy." Jess said, confused.  
"No. I'm not." Haley glanced at Zoe, then looked at Jess. "I mean, I am happy for you guys, but... I'm not, for selfish reasons."  
"Haley, come _on_. You know me. I wouldn't lie to you." Jess said, his temper flaring up.  
"We're not together, Haley, _really_." Zoe agreed.  
"I get it." Haley said and sighed heavily. "I just feel like... well, now that you've got someone you can relate to, that you won't need me anymore."  
"Come again?" Jess said coldly.  
"Zoe is going to replace me. Well... in some areas, at least." Haley blinked away tears. "She won't be able to give you what I can because... it's just inappropriate and _not done_. But she'll be able to give you what I never could, and so why would you need me to hang around you anymore?"

"Haley, for crying out loud," Jess said, clearly agitated. He ran his hands through his hair, leaving the blonde mass in complete disarray.  
"You're not making any sense." Zoe said, frowning hard at Haley. "What are you getting at? I'm not going to be replacing you in_ any_ way."  
"Yeah, you are." Haley said, and stared down at her hands.  
"Would you like me to spell it out for you?" Jess asked, his voice rising.  
People glanced toward their table. Haley shifted in her seat, and hugged herself.  
"We've known each other practically all our lives. When I told you that I would never leave you, I meant it, Haley." Jess said.

"I know." Haley shrugged, and licked her lips.  
"Then why won't you believe me?" Jess demanded.  
Haley looked across the table at him, and her eyes flashed furiously.  
"I'm not retarded, Jess. I understand when you say there's nothing between you." Haley said. "Rumours and gossip is the least of my worries right now."  
Zoe slowly leaned back in her seat. She could almost touch the steel wall that had slid between herself and Haley.  
"Then what's with the cold shoulder?" Jess asked.  
Haley blew out her breath, and Zoe met her gaze evenly.  
"I think... Zoe, I think it's best if we just... you know... don't hang out for a while."  
Zoe didn't flinch. She stared back at Haley, tears stinging her eyes.  
"Why?" Zoe asked, embarrassed when her voice shook.  
"My mom is afraid you might have a bad influence on me and Kyle." Haley diverted her gaze, and her words were as cold as her voice.  
"Haley... you're the only friend I have." Zoe stalled. She was silently pleading that Haley would crack a smile and disregard everything except their friendship.  
Haley didn't reply. She was stubbornly looking out the window. Zoe felt her temper flare up suddenly, dangerously, masking the hurt.  
"Whatever." Zoe said curtly, scooting out her chair and getting up.

"The only bad influence here would be you, Haley..." She heard Jess's voice as she walked away.

Then she was heading down the hall toward the girl's locker room. Zoe wasn't sure exactly why she was going there – the cold fury inside of her was solid enough to stay. The tears wouldn't come again.  
"Hey, Zoe," Tanya called from the lockers, detaching herself from Kim and Lisa and strolling toward her.  
"What?" Zoe snapped.  
"We wanted to know if you'd like to hang out with us after school." Tanya said, startled at Zoe's angry expression.  
"What?" Zoe repeated more calmly.  
"We were going to go to the beach – Kim's boyfriend has a surfing competition on. Then we were going to go to Lisa's afterward. She's got the entire Ugly Betty series on DVD. I thought you might like to come along, seeing as Haley's gone all anti-social."

"What do you mean?" Zoe felt her defences falter.  
"Well, she did tell you off, right? She did the same to all of us." Tanya said, glancing over her shoulder at Kim and Lisa, who were both watching from a distance.  
"She did?" Zoe asked, stumped.  
"Yeah. She nearly slugged me this morning when I told her you and Jess are back. She said _if you think you're being a good friend by telling me this then you can all go to hell._" Tanya said and grimaced. "Well, something to those lines."  
"Oh." Zoe said.  
"So, are you game?" Tanya asked hopefully. Her green eyes sparkled when the bell rang. "We'll meet you at the bus stop!"  
Zoe dragged herself to her next class, her mind a whirlwind of mixed emotion. So, her friend became her enemy, and her enemy became her friend? How does that work? How does that even _happen_?


	17. Family Ties

**AYE! It's been a while since I worked on this story. The bits I already had written for it was running stale to my taste, so I'm chopping and fung-shui it at the moment. Expect updates to be sporadic, as usual, since I'm really just taking a break from my originals/warming up my imagination. To all of you who have badgered me to update - well, I serve to please ;)**

**Again, sorry it took me a while. I had no muse for this fic so I had to go scratch one out of the dust pile. And I found a nice one ^_^ Hopefully that translates into the story. OH, ooh ooh! AND, the layout will no longer be...weird. Because I actually got the hang of format! Whoo?**

* * *

The bus stop had no shelter and Zoe found herself waiting in the scorching heat of late noon. Students swarmed past her, laughter and voices drifting by her. She caught scraps of conversations, and in a long fit of paranoia, her mind took each random word and somehow made her believe everyone was talking about her. She was certainly winning a lot of looks, and not the kind she was used to.

Pity. Warmth. She could almost hear them thinking 'tsk tsk'.

And where _was_ Tanya? Had she stood her up for the hell of it? Zoe straightened up from where she'd been lounging against the bus stop. She wiped the perspiration from her face with her sleeve and turned to leave - and came up short against a sturdy and warm chest. She blinked at the black shirt - insanity to be wearing that colour in this heat! - and in the same instant recalling that neither Jess nor Kevin had been wearing anything close to that colour.

Her gaze darted up to the face scowling down at her. Electric blue eyes. Or were they midnight coloured? Violets and deep luminous blues of a million different shades seemed to swim in their depths, but what caught her breath was the coldness behind them. She recognised the ancient malevolence glinting in that gaze. It felt like someone had dumped her in a bath full of ice.

"You again," Zoe breathed, and then remembering she was dealing with Jess's dad, she tore her eyes from his to stare at her feet. "I mean, hi, Mr. Thornton."

"That was some stunt you two pulled." He didn't sound angry, but Zoe couldn't force herself to relax.

"We didn't mean to upset ev-"

"Of course you did, that's why you did it," he cut in. "To take a stand against the adults. To prove a point. To teach your parents a lesson."

Zoe licked her lips and swallowed air. "I'm sorry."

"Not sorry enough. You're coming home with me."

This did make Zoe finally look back up at him. She shook her head at his piercing gaze. "My parents-"

"Are waiting. The longer you keep them waiting, the worse off you'll be."

"But I had plans to meet up with some friends of mine," Zoe backtracked.

He tilted his head to the side and stared at her as if he was trying to decipher her thoughts. The sun glared brilliantly off his white hair.  
_Julian_. That's what Kevin and Haley called him, she remembered. He's different, like Jess.

"Zoe, as much as I'd like to play this game of cat and mouse with you, I..."he trailed off, suddenly looking at her with a serious thoughtful expression. Then the intensity of his gaze wavered and a ghost of a smile flashed across his lips. "Come with me. No arguing. You'll do as I say, understand?"

It was the cut-throat authority in his voice that choked the "yes, sir" from her lips. She allowed him to lead her to a bright green Volvo outside the school grounds. She was surprised to find Jess already in the car as she slid into the backseat.

"Mom must be really angry with me," Jess said a few minutes after they started driving.

Julian said nothing. Jess let out a deep, despondent sigh. "Silent treatment, huh?"

"You know what your mother would say," Julian said curtly.

"What? That I'm grounded for life, again? That I'm not allowed to leave her sight? That she's going to homeschool me from now on because I've proven to be a rebel?" Jess said scornfully.

"No," Julian said, and his lips lifted in one corner. "She would want to know why didn't you just ask us."

Jess was quiet for a moment, dumb-struck. He shared a glance with Zoe in the backseat before staring at his father again. "It didn't occur to me. I didn't think you guys would tell me anything. You've been so...secretive about Zoe."

"It's not exactly something you just bring up in casual conversation, son," Julian said, and shrugged. "But since you want to know, Zoe is part of our family."

"Huh?" Jess blinked, and Zoe leaned forward in surprise, "What?"

"You heard me," Julian said.

"Family? You mean like a cousin or something like that?" Jess spluttered.

Julian sent him a look of indulgence, and glanced at Zoe over his shoulder. "You knew you were adopted. It shouldn't come as a shock to you, am I right?"

"I...didn't expect _this_," Zoe said.

"You didn't? You had no idea that I've been looking for you all this time? Not even an inkling of a feeling?" Julian pressed lightly.

"I thought it was just me being dramatic," Zoe said, blinking back tears of disbelief and joy.

"That's what I was told every time I thought I just missed getting hold of you. Shows how little people know."

"So...you're my _sister_?" Jess asked loudly, frowning at Zoe. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"_I_ didn't know I was your sister!" Zoe spat back with equal heat.

"What if I wanted to stay an only child?"

"Why, so you can be the freak of nature all by yourself?"

"That's not funny!"

"I'm sorry, okay! You're kind of shouting at me and I didn't do anything wrong and this is a little bit much for me to take in right now so just-"

Jess interrupted her rambling with his hand and a huge grin plastered across his face. "For the record, I'm glad it's you and not some other ordinary brain-fluff."

"What?" Zoe asked, confused and breathless from her rant.

"Welcome to the family, Zoe," Julian said, and offered her a smile that seemed to make the world's colour pallette that little bit brighter.


End file.
